Education Commons^™

Perceived And Real Water Competency And Drowning Risk Among Adults, Teresa Stanley, Kevin Moran, Dawn Garbett, Alan Ovens

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Traditionally, public understanding of drowning survival has focused on swimming capacity, often measured by how far a person can swim. With respect to the high incidence of adult drowning in high-income countries, using the more inclusive concept of water competency may yield a more comprehensive explanatory framework for understanding the reasons behind these drownings. Any competency base required to survive a drowning situation is dynamic, complex, and multi-faceted. Furthermore, perceptions of risk and capacity to cope with that risk are likely to be pivotal to the avoidance of drowning. Adults’ perceived water competence was measured against their actual water competence …

Educator Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy And Preparedness To Work In High Poverty Schools, Kristen Carroll, Juliann Sergi Mcbrayer, Marlynn Griffin, Taylor Norman, Summer Pannell, Mary Josephine Carney

School Leadership Review

This study examined the perceptions of educators to determine if they felt that they were adequately prepared to teach in a high poverty school setting. The participants, educators from four school districts, completed a survey based on their perceptions of their own level of self-efficacy and preparedness to work in high poverty schools. The analyses indicated that, overall, educators felt well-prepared with limited supporting evidence to work in high poverty schools in the areas of student learning and engagement, which included curriculum and pedagogy, differentiation, and assessment. Findings further indicated a need for professional learning so educators can best support …

"Our Students Vs. Their Students:" Perceptions Of Teachers In English Language Learning, Leah Day

Journal of English Learner Education

The purpose of the study was to understand the perceptions of teachers on English Language Learners and how this shapes the educational paths of students. Data was collected in the form of interviews with the participants. The interviews were guided by a set of questions that were designed to interrogate perceptions and experiences with regard to language learning in the context of one student. Interviews were recorded and transcribed and the data was coded inductively. This study does not seek to generalize beyond this context but can provide insight into similar experiences and perceptions of the English Language Learning process. …

A Simulated Qualitative Study Exploring Higher Education Faculty's Perceptions Of Factors That Influence Dynamic Decision-Making When Choosing Opportunities For Student Engagement In Asynchronous Online Courses, Leticia De La Garza

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore higher education faculty’s perceptions of factors that influence dynamic decision-making when choosing opportunities for student engagement in asynchronous online courses. More specifically, this study sought to understand how faculty in higher education perceived these factors to prevent and facilitate dynamic decision-making when designing instructor presence, student-to-student collaboration, and student-to-academic content engagement opportunities in asynchronous online courses, as Garrison et al. (1999) suggest, for a community of inquiry. There has not been much focus on the dynamic decision-making of online instructors in higher education and a call to continue exploring factors that influence …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Inclusive Classrooms, Tamara Ann Lipson

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined teachers’ perceptions of inclusive classrooms. The specific areas of focus were analyzed by comparing demographic characteristics of the responding teachers to survey questions from the adapted Teachers Attitude towards Inclusive Education (TAIS) in order to determine how teachers perceive inclusive classrooms, how prepared they feel to teach in inclusive classrooms, and if there is any correlation between the workload of the teachers and their perception of inclusive classrooms. Data was collected through a survey completed by 480 teachers from a large, diverse, public school district in Northeast Florida. The findings of this study indicate that these teachers …

Collaborative Lesson Study: A Qualitative Case Study Of Elementary Teachers’ Professional Learning Experience, Arlene D. Harmon

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher collaboration practices in schools have impacted how teachers work together to prevent professional isolation. The mandate of collaborative practices has resulted in some teachers expressing frustration and a lack of benefit from their current experiences. The purpose of this qualitative case study, conducted in the Southeast region of the United States, was to determine if lesson study provided a more meaningful collaborative approach during focused group sessions. Using New London Group’s (1996) designs of meaning concept encapsulated in the Pedagogy of Multiliteracies Theoretical Framework to gauge the relevance of lesson study, I sought to explore a deeper understanding of …

Middle School Teacher Perceptions Of The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sherria La Vonne Grubbs

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This paper examines the perceptions of middle school teachers on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on student achievement, attendance and enrollment, mental health, and social and economic factors. Allowing the voices of the middle school teachers to be heard was important to this study because it helped to identify some key themes of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on education. For this qualitative research study, a survey was created with Google Forms and a focus group discussion was implemented using the zoom platform to gather and collect data for this study. 67 middle school teachers were invited to …

Teachers’ Perception Of The Impact Of The Switch To Emergency Remote Teaching On Students With Disabilities During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Chinwe Osondu

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore teachers’ perception of the impact of the switch to emergency remote teaching on students with disabilities during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as the factors that helped or hindered their academic and social-emotional achievement levels and motivation. A secondary goal of this study is to add to the literature on strategies to improve the outcomes of students with disabilities in an online/virtual learning environment. An interview protocol that included semi-structured, open-ended questions was used to capture the perceptions of 15 special education teachers. Rich qualitative data were …

The Teacher’S Role In Writing: A Study Of Teacher Candidates’ Perceptions, Joy Myers, Kelly Tracy, Amanda Wall, Linda D. Smetana, Chinwe H. Ikpeze, Sonia M. Kline, Jenn Raskauskas, Roya Q. Scales, Vicki Mcquitty, Pamela Hickey

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

A team of teacher education researchers conducted a qualitative study to explore how teacher candidates viewed the teacher’s role in teaching students to write. Participants (N = 107) enrolled in writing-focused methods courses across four universities completed a reflective quick write near the end of the course. Since writing is a complex and multidimensional activity, these responses were analyzed through the theoretical framework of social cognitive theory. When describing the role of the teacher, the data indicated candidates across all institutions primarily focused on the affective aspects of teaching writing, specifically supporting and developing students’ confidence in writing. Some mentioned …

Gatekeepers Of Family And Consumer Sciences: A Quantitative Study Exploring Factors Influencing Administrator And Counselor Perceptions Of Family And Consumer Sciences, Amber Nicole Tiernan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify which factors may predict the perception of family and consumer sciences curriculum (FCS) programs by administrators and school counselors. The study was centered around Kurt Lewin’s Gatekeeper theory, in which an individual or group acts as a gate through which information passes. Principals and school counselors were chosen as the sample for this study because of their role as gatekeepers in a school, deciding which programs are offered and which information is conveyed to students. A Likert-scale survey was sent to all Virginia public high school principals and school counselors. Data …

Elementary School Teachers' Perceptions Of Student Motivation To Use Classroom Integrated Technology, Jason Lynn Webb

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The integration of technology into the classroom transforms curriculum design and instructional methods. Research suggests that the perspectives of teachers and students are not always in agreement regarding the influence of classroom integrated technology on learning motivation. The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to determine if there is a significant difference in how teachers perceive the influence of technology integration on student learning motivation based on teacher gender, teacher weekly hours of computer use, and teacher years of teaching experience. The study used the Teacher Attitudes toward Classroom Computing Scale to collect data from 238 4th- and 5th-grade rural …

Technology In Teacher Education: Student Perceptions Of Instructional Technology In The Classroom, Jennifer Zakrzewski, Brianne Newton

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

Instructional technology continues to become more prevalent in classrooms around the globe. However, it is unclear whether teachers are prepared and have the self-efficacy to incorporate instructional technology into the classroom. This study reviews an instructional technology course for preservice teachers and whether student comfort increased with instructional technology throughout the course. In addition, data were collected regarding preferences pertaining to instructional technology. The data shows preservice teachers’ comfort increased throughout this course in terms of instructional technology. In addition, the data show preservice teachers are more comfortable working with instructional …

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 6, Issue 1, Spring 2022

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full-length 2022 Special Issue (Volume 5, Issue 3) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version (with downloadable EPUB format) here.

The Spring 2022 issue begins with research that explores the perceptions of pre-service teachers relative to learning mathematics and science, with suggestions for how findings can impact curriculum and further research. The focus on pre-service teachers continues with research into their sense of self-efficacy with instructional technologies and whether specific techniques increase comfort level with technologies. Next, researchers explore the products that Generation Z students value most in their learning of a second language, …

Perceptions Of Directors Of Dietetic Internships Concerning Challenges To Meet Accreditation Council For Education In Nutrition And Dietetics Core Competencies, Timothy David Bender

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Competency-based education is used in several healthcare profession educational programs. Competency-based education has been at the forefront of dietetics education for several years and continues to this day. It is used in the undergraduate programs as well as in dietetic internships. The mastery of these competencies reflects the skillset a student or intern has achieved to be ready to advance to the next level. For an undergraduate student, mastery of all undergraduate competencies would indicate the ability to graduate the program and be eligible to apply to a dietetic internship. For a dietetic intern, mastery of all competencies would indicate …

Australian Teachers’ Perceptions And Experiences Of Food And Nutrition Education In Primary Schools: A Qualitative Study, Gozde Aydin, Claire Margerison, Anthony Worsley, Alison Booth

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Teacher delivered food and nutrition education (FNE) can be effective in improving children’s food literacy and eating habits. However, teachers are known to face some barriers to the delivery of FNE globally. To obtain a deeper understanding of Australian primary school teachers’ experiences and views, 17 teachers were interviewed. The results of the thematic analysis showed that teachers acknowledged the importance of FNE and were willing to include more FNE content into their teaching. We also identified the FNE topics taught, resources used, their teaching partners, and barriers encountered. The discussion presents strategies to overcome these barriers.

The Effects Of Activity-Based And Inquiry-Based Teaching Methods On Student Attitude And Perception Toward Geometry, Wade Hukriede

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This quantitative action research project evaluated high school students’ attitude and perceptions toward geometry before and after two units that were taught. The first unit was taught using a more traditional style of teaching while the second method incorporated activity-based and inquiry-based lessons into a traditional method of teaching. The students were surveyed by using a modified version of Bauer’s (2008) Attitude Toward the Subject of Chemistry Inventory. The survey was changed to focus on the students’ attitudes and perceptions toward geometry. Survey scores in the subscales: interest and utility, anxiety, intellectual accessibility, fear and emotional satisfaction were compared through …

A Study Of The Impact Of A University’S Program For Intellectual Disabilities On Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions And Attitudes, Tyanne N. Bailey

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Opportunities for individuals with exceptional needs to participate in inclusive environments have increased in recent years due to the implementation of various laws. Throughout the history of education, individuals with exceptional needs were prevented from attending higher education institutions; however, the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008 provided opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities to attend higher education institutions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how a university’s program to assist students with intellectual disabilities successfully transition from high school to adulthood impacted undergraduate students’ perceptions and comfort level of working with individuals with intellectual disabilities. This …

Curriculum Coaches: Pre-Service Teachers Opinions And Perceptions Within The Field Of Education, Brooke Ann Mcintyre, Catherine Scott

Honors Theses

The role of a curriculum coach in the PK-12 school system is a valuable one; the curriculum coach can provide mentoring and instructional supports to new teachers as they enter the field. The importance of this aid can be easily overlooked, nonetheless, because teachers are often unaware of the type of support that is available to them. In this study, a survey was administered to preservice teacher education students at a liberal arts institution in the southeast to evaluate their perceptions of curriculum coaches and their role in the classroom. Findings are shared and implications discussed for both school systems …

Faculty And Student Perceptions Of Teaching Presence: Implications For Student Satisfaction, Analisa Mcmillan

Theses & Dissertations

This study highlights the importance of teaching presence as a necessary component of the online learning experience for students and faculty in higher education. The Community of Inquiry (COI) framework on teaching presence and the Community of Inquiry teaching presence survey were utilized in a cross-sectional stratified survey study. The study aimed to determine if there were similarities and differences between the online student’s perceptions and his or her instructor’s perceptions of teaching presence in an online graduate course. Additionally, research was conducted to determine if there was a significant relationship between teaching presence and course satisfaction in fully online …

Students’ Perspectives Toward A Curriculum That Incorporates Their Input, Janneth V. Chumana

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

ABSTRACT

This study describes the relationship between students’ attitudes, beliefs and perceptions about the foreign language curriculum at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador for the A2.2 (elementary advanced) level class and the students’ learning outcomes. It explores the factors that influence the attitudes and perceptions of undergraduate EFL students toward a curriculum as well as what happens when they are involved in the classroom curriculum development. The study took place in the spring of 2019, confirming its usefulness in the changing of students’ attitudes towards the English language learning process. At the same time it provided effective information to the …

Students’ Perspectives On The Teaching And Learning Of Information Literacy And Library Skills (Ils), Annah Sephene Macha

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Information Literacy is one of the key factors in order for one to succeed at any university. The purpose of this study was to investigate the students’ perception towards the teaching and learning of Information and Library Literacy or skills ILS, at a regionally accredited university of Science and Technology in Central Botswana.

A sample size was a population of the study was going a total one hundred (100) students filled the questionnaire and ten (10) students’ and ten (10) staff members were involved in the same structured interviews. The methodology administered----All three librarians teaching TWAL students and a sample …

Special Education Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Predictors For Improving Post School Outcomes For Students With Disabilities, Ann Marie Wilkinson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Students with disabilities are faced with overwhelming challenges as they transition from high school to postsecondary education, careers, and independent living. Legislation has mandated that schools provide services for students with disabilities to prepare them for these transitions into adult life (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004). To assist schools in providing more meaningful services, the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT) identified and defined 20 predictors for post-school success (Test, Mazzotti et al., 2009, Test & Cook, 2012, Rowe et al., 2015, & Mazzotti et al., 2016). This study examined the perceptions of high school special education teachers …

Perceptions Of English Teachers About Professional Development For Evidence-Based Writing Practices, Julie Nicole Bollich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Writing teachers in a southern school district have not consistently implemented evidence-based practices (EBPs) in writing instruction as indicated by students not meeting proficiency levels on state and campus writing assessments. Despite professional development (PD) provided to writing teachers, writing assessment scores remained lower than state level scores between 2012 and 2019 at the target campus. Teachers’ perceptions of their competence related to the implementation of writing strategies in the classroom, their perceptions of how district and campus PD supported their skill development, and their efficacy in designing and implementing lesson plans focused on teaching writing strategies were explored in …

Perceptions Of The Impact Mathematics Support Classes Have On Student Achievement, Cordaryl Charles Middleton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many students today struggle with mastering grade-level mathematics standards. School leaders have implemented mathematics support classes as a possible solution; however, not all students are showing significant improvement. The challenge is determining an effective mathematics support class that has the most positive impact on student achievement. As a result, the purpose of this research study was to examine the perceptions of principals, mathematics teachers, and mathematics support teachers on the impact mathematics support classes had on student achievement. This study employed a qualitative case study research design that consisted of one overarching research question and three sub-research questions that framed …

Growth Mindset: A Key To Motivating Students In Reading, Jenny M. Reid

Masters Theses

If students believe the possibilities for attaining knowledge are boundless, they will be capable of reaching those heights. However, if students feel as though they are restricted by what nature and genetics have gifted them, their learning will remain within those boundaries. This is what stands as the difference between a growth and fixed mindset, which affects will be analyzed pertaining to student progress and motivation in literacy. A third-grade class was observed over six weeks to explore what the teacher believes about her students’ reading abilities as well as what the students believe about their reading abilities. These beliefs …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Home-School Collaboration: Enhancing Learning For Children With Autism, Chana S. Josilowski

The Qualitative Report

This study aimed to explore the relationship between teachers and students’ families and address the deficiencies in the body of research regarding the performance gap between children with autism and their age-equivalent peers. The research question was: How do teachers of children with autism perceive the home-school collaboration and its impact on learning? Ten state-certified special educators with at least 3 years’ experience teaching children with autism, and experience collaborating with their students’ families participated in face-to-face interviews, answering 8 open-ended questions in this generic qualitative study. Inductive thematic analysis yielded 6 themes: (a) collaboration improves learning, (b) communication is …

Principals' Perceptions Of Brain-Based Learning, Tami Hudson Godman

Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed by the study was a lack of research on principal’s perceptions of brain-based learning and the potential impact on classroom instruction. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between the principal’s perceptions of brain-based learning and instruction at their schools. The following research has been conducted using a qualitative paradigm. A case study involved a focus group of 12 principals and additional interviews with four of those principals. The qualitative data were thematically coded to provide information on patterns and practices within a variety of schools in the area. The findings offer the educational …

Exploring Emirati Ninth Grade Students’ Use Of Edmodo In Learning English: A Mixed-Method Study, Amna Hamad Al Nuami

Theses

This mixed-method study is aimed at exploring the use of EDMODO by Emirati ninth grade female students (n = 97) who are studying English as a second language. In the first phase of the study, quantitative data were collected by using a questionnaire. Additionally, from the original pool, a subset of students (n = 11) were interviewed with regards to EDMODO usage in the classroom. The findings from this study revealed that ninth-grade students found EDMODO to be first and foremost an interesting and joyful learning experience; Second, they also reported it is an efficient platform for …

Curriculum Change: A Study On Teacher Perceptions Of Curriculum Change On Content Standards, Tiffany Kessler-Hopek

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, curriculum has encountered frequent changes throughout years. The main initiative of educational change has three main components, and they are to increase the quality and rigor of the curriculum, have a common curriculum, and prepare students for secondary education. The standards in the state of Georgia have changed from Georgia Performance Standards and Common Core State Standards to the more recent Georgia Standards of Excellence. By the school year 2018-2019, the Georgia Standards of Excellence should be fully adopted. An explanatory sequential mixed methods study was conducted to examine the perceptions of teachers on curriculum change …

Middle School Mathematics Teachers' Perceptions Of Opportunities And Challenges, Shelby Eversole

Masters Theses

This study investigates the perspectives of opportunities and challenges of middle school mathematics’ teachers. To gain these perspectives, an ethnographic study was conducted by interviewing four middle school mathematics teachers in central Illinois. The results of this study imply that teachers of different backgrounds and teaching environments have varying perspectives about challenges and opportunities in the classroom. Limitations of this study include but are not limited to, the researcher having one year to conduct the research, only four teachers from two schools being interviewed, interviewees teaching different grade levels, no rural setting involvement, one educator having little teaching experience, teachers’ …