Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Education Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 19 of 19

Full-Text Articles in Education

Teacher Perceptions Of Assessments In Character Education: A Case Study, Sarah Hickman Nov 2019

Teacher Perceptions Of Assessments In Character Education: A Case Study, Sarah Hickman

Senior Honors Theses

Since the time of Aristotle, educators have emphasized character as a necessary part of a student’s education, and currently, many states mandate character education by law. Because of this historical and legal emphasis, there is a growing discussion on the necessity of assessments in character education to ensure that character education programs are effective. While there is research on the large-scale effectiveness of programs with different assessments, there is little research about how teachers perceive assessments and measurements in character education. This study was conducted to begin to address this gap in the research. Through the research design of an …


A Transcendental Phenomenology Of General Education Teachers' Experiences Instructing Twice-Exceptional High School Students, Jill Denise Collet Nov 2019

A Transcendental Phenomenology Of General Education Teachers' Experiences Instructing Twice-Exceptional High School Students, Jill Denise Collet

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study examined the experiences of 10 teachers of twice exceptional students at two high schools in northeast Ohio. The central research question was: What are the shared experiences of general education high school teachers instructing twice-exceptional students in northeast Ohio? Sub-questions explored how participants described their experiences in meeting the educational needs of twice-exceptional learners, how teachers described their self-efficacy in regard to teaching twice-exceptional students, and obstacles they found while teaching these students. Moustakas’ (1994) transcendental model to find the essence of the phenomenon was utilized to collect data through interviewing participants, conducting online focus groups, …


Organic Chemistry Ii Lab Manual, Caitlyn Bailey Oct 2019

Organic Chemistry Ii Lab Manual, Caitlyn Bailey

Senior Honors Theses

This project aims to supply a full lab manual and grading key for Organic Chemistry II, a class often taken by sophomores in Liberty University’s science degree programs. Properly applied laboratory experiments create a beneficial learning environment for science students by using hands-on procedures to transform intangible lecture concepts into concrete demonstrations. Lab work also fosters the development of problem-solving and critical-thinking skills that students need in research and the workplace. Thus, having a comprehensive lab manual is critical to students’ success and understanding in this upper-level class. This project adds to the experiments of Organic Chemistry II lab through …


The Differences In Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scores Between Military Dependent Students And General Population Students, Jeffrey Thomas Harris Aug 2019

The Differences In Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scores Between Military Dependent Students And General Population Students, Jeffrey Thomas Harris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The United States has now been engaged in war for fourteen years, the longest war in American history. A war like this has created an atmosphere of extended deployments for members of the military resulting in separation from their family. Deployments can affect many areas of family life, and the child’s academics is one such area. A student’s success often depends on his/her confidence, or “self-efficacy”, in academics. This can be affected by the inconsistencies of military life, such as constantly moving and transferring schools, which can shake that confidence causing him or her to struggle academically. The purpose of …


The Influence Of Homeschooling On The Lives Of College Graduates: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Jennifer Rose Elliott Aug 2019

The Influence Of Homeschooling On The Lives Of College Graduates: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Jennifer Rose Elliott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the influence of a K–12 home education on the academic, familial, spiritual, and vocational aspects of the adult lives of select four-year college graduates. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory framed this study, as it purports that learning and development occur in the symbiotic relationship between learner and environment. Central research question: How do select four-year college graduates describe the influence of a K–12 home education on their adult lives? Sub-questions: (a) How do participants describe the impact of a K–12 home education on their experiences in higher education? (b) How do participants …


Self-Efficacy Among Special Education Teachers Who Teach Students Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Pamella Tracy Hosley Jul 2019

Self-Efficacy Among Special Education Teachers Who Teach Students Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Pamella Tracy Hosley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study is to determine the relationship between perceived self-efficacy and work engagement among teachers of students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Self-Efficacy data will be gathered using the Ohio version of the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scales (TSES-T) and the student engagement, classroom management and the instructional strategies sub-scales. Work engagement will be evaluated using the Utrecht Work Engagement Total Scale. Participants will be 66 special education teachers who teach students diagnosed with ASD. A bivariate correlational design employing a Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine if there is a significant relationship between …


Teachers’ Self-Perceived Attitudes And Self-Efficacy Of Instructing English Learners In Middle Tennessee, Angela Hughes Jul 2019

Teachers’ Self-Perceived Attitudes And Self-Efficacy Of Instructing English Learners In Middle Tennessee, Angela Hughes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As the population of English learners (ELs) continues to grow, so does the achievement gap between ELs and non-EL peers. Educators must analyze what could be contributing factors to Els’ low performance, such as misconceptions about ELs, teachers’ attitudes toward teaching ELs, and how teachers perceive themselves as able to instruct ELs effectively. Further research was needed to examine ELs in the general education classroom and teachers’ attitudes to determine when and why teachers feel less or more self-efficacy teaching ELs. The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze 74 general education teachers’ sense of self-efficacy for teaching English …


Causal-Comparative Study Of Reading Self-Efficacy Of Senior High School Students Based On English Course Placement, Carrie Marie Deel Jun 2019

Causal-Comparative Study Of Reading Self-Efficacy Of Senior High School Students Based On English Course Placement, Carrie Marie Deel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In addition to requisite knowledge and skills in the area of reading, self-efficacy is imperative for students’ success in academic tasks. While a considerable amount of research has been conducted on self-efficacy, there is a dearth of research with high school students’ reading self-efficacy. Moreover, there is virtually no research investigating the potential differences in reading self-efficacy for students enrolled in different kinds of senior English courses. This non-experimental quantitative causal-comparative study sought to examine whether there was a difference between the reading self-efficacy for male and female students enrolled in general education English classes and students enrolled in dual …


A Grounded Theory Study Of The Educational Processes Implemented By Parents Homeschooling Gifted Or Twice-Exceptional Children, Bridgette Whitlow-Spurlock May 2019

A Grounded Theory Study Of The Educational Processes Implemented By Parents Homeschooling Gifted Or Twice-Exceptional Children, Bridgette Whitlow-Spurlock

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this systematic, grounded theory study was to explain the educational processes used by homeschooling families of gifted and twice-exceptional children. For this study, educational processes were defined as instructional methods, curriculum, and structure used by homeschooling parents in the academic development of their gifted and twice-exceptional child. The conceptual framework guiding this study was choice theory developed by William Glasser with the influences of Robert Sternberg’s theory of successful intelligence and Kurt Fischer’s dynamic skills theory as these theories explain how choices are influenced by parents’ understanding of their children’s cognitive development, giftedness, and twice-exceptionality within a …


The Effects Of A Systematic Tier 2 Intervention On Kindergartners' Dibels Benchmarks, Richard Kyle Abernathy May 2019

The Effects Of A Systematic Tier 2 Intervention On Kindergartners' Dibels Benchmarks, Richard Kyle Abernathy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated the effects of teaching prescriptive and teacher-guided decoding lessons to kindergarten students in need of Tier 2 interventions in the Georgia Response to Intervention protocol based on DIBELS curriculum-based measurements. A causal-comparative design was used to examine spring 2018 DIBELS benchmarks scores of kindergarten students in a large rural school district in northwest Georgia. Students in the treatment group received Tier 2 intervention following a newer curricula termed Differentiated Reading Instruction (DRI) from the manual How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction (2017). Students in the control group received a similar commercially-based intervention. The curriculum-based measurement, DIBELS, served …


Case Study Of High School Math And Science Teachers' Beliefs About Using Writing To Learn And Their Beliefs About Themselves As Writing-To-Learn Practitioners, Virginia Elizabeth Dunker May 2019

Case Study Of High School Math And Science Teachers' Beliefs About Using Writing To Learn And Their Beliefs About Themselves As Writing-To-Learn Practitioners, Virginia Elizabeth Dunker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to document and explore high school math and science teachers’ beliefs and instructional practices concerning Writing-to-learn (WTL), or students learning content through writing. Two theories guided this study: Bandura’s (1977) theory of self-efficacy and Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory. Data collection included interviews with 10 participants: five math teachers and five science teachers, a focus group comprised of three math teachers and four science teachers from the sample, and participants’ journal responses for four weeks. The setting for this study was in an urban high school in the southeastern United States. The student …


A Phenomenological Study Of Advanced Age Individuals Pursuing A Doctoral Degree, Elaine G. Phillips May 2019

A Phenomenological Study Of Advanced Age Individuals Pursuing A Doctoral Degree, Elaine G. Phillips

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the lived experiences of advanced age individuals 62 years and older who chose to return to academia and pursue doctoral studies in accredited doctoral programs in the United States. The theories that guided this study are the self-determination theory by Deci and Ryan and Erikson’s psychosocial development theory, specifically stage eight, Integrity versus Despair. These two theories framed this study investigating the central research question: What are the experiences of advanced age individuals pursuing a doctoral degree? These advanced age individuals pursued, experienced, and completed doctoral degrees or are in the …


A Single-Subject Study On Listening To Student-Selected Music Through Headphones For Students With Adhd, Jennifer Renee Royster Ramey May 2019

A Single-Subject Study On Listening To Student-Selected Music Through Headphones For Students With Adhd, Jennifer Renee Royster Ramey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects that self-selected music have on the working memory of fifth grade students with an ADHD diagnosis. A single-subject ABACAC design was used, and a convenience sample of five fifth-grade students from a rural central Virginia middle school participated in the study. An on-line working memory N-back task (Cognitive Fun!, 2008) was used to measure the working memory of each participant under the conditions of no music, teacher-selected music listened to through headphones, and self-selected music listened to through headphones. The results of this study found that one participant experienced a …


Launching Dreams: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Describing What It Means To Be An Underrepresented Student In A Collegiate Aviation Program, James P. Molloy Apr 2019

Launching Dreams: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Describing What It Means To Be An Underrepresented Student In A Collegiate Aviation Program, James P. Molloy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore and describe what it means to be an underrepresented student in a collegiate professional pilot degree program. The central research question for this study was: What does it mean to be an underrepresented student in a collegiate professional pilot degree program? The four sub-questions were: (a) What influence do cognitive-person attributes have on meaning that is experienced and described by the underrepresented aviation student?, (b) What influence do gender and race have on meaning that is experienced and described by underrepresented aviation student?, (c) What influence does the contextual environment …


How Participation In The Arts Impacts Learning Comprehension For High School Students During Stem Coursework At Two High Schools In Southwest Florida: A Case Study, Tiffany Lynn Jennings Apr 2019

How Participation In The Arts Impacts Learning Comprehension For High School Students During Stem Coursework At Two High Schools In Southwest Florida: A Case Study, Tiffany Lynn Jennings

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to understand how participation in the arts impacts Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) coursework for students at two Southwest Florida High Schools. Within the context of the study, the term “arts’ was used to collectively refer to all visual and performing arts courses, including painting, drawing, graphic arts, two-dimensional and three-dimensional, music, and theatre. Studies show that in order to be innovative, students need to have the experiences that the arts can foster in the right side of the brain, the side associated with creativity (Eisner, 2002). I chose a case study …


A Causal-Comparative Analysis Of Mathematics Self-Efficacy Based On Gender And Math Acceleration, Jacqueline Renee Probst Apr 2019

A Causal-Comparative Analysis Of Mathematics Self-Efficacy Based On Gender And Math Acceleration, Jacqueline Renee Probst

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study tested the theories of self-efficacy and cognitive-stage that compare gender and degree of mathematics acceleration to mathematics self-efficacy for math students. The participants for this study were 158 Algebra 2 and Precalculus students enrolled at three different private, metropolitan, secondary schools in the same northwestern state during the 2018-2019 school year. A causal-comparative group comparison design was utilized to determine mathematics self-efficacy differences among math students in relation to gender and degree of mathematics acceleration. Student mathematics self-efficacy scores from the Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale (MSES) were analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare means and …


Impact Of Flexible Seating On First Grade Reading Progression, Stephana M. Logue Apr 2019

Impact Of Flexible Seating On First Grade Reading Progression, Stephana M. Logue

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Proponents of flexible seating options within the classroom claim this simple change will transform education, improve children's engagement and learning, and renew classroom teaching. Opponents argue that such benefits are overstated because, currently, little evidence exists that eliminating desks and chairs improves learning and student engagement. In this study, the impact of flexible seating on first grade reading scores was examined and how it is implemented when teaching reading at the primary level. This quantitative research plan used the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmarking Kit to determine if students who chose the option of flexible seating during the reading block had …


A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Elementary Title I Teachers' Use Of Digital Technology In The Classroom, Rebecca S. Acosta Apr 2019

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Elementary Title I Teachers' Use Of Digital Technology In The Classroom, Rebecca S. Acosta

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

If Title I elementary students are not given opportunities to learn how to utilize digital technology in their classrooms, a whole segment of the population will lack the knowledge and skills to become successful upon graduation and contribute to the betterment of society. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of Central Texas elementary teachers’ use of digital technology in their Title I classrooms. The central research question in this study was: how do Title I elementary teachers in Central Texas describe their experiences using digital technology in the classroom? Two theories framed this investigation. …


A Phenomenological Study Of Novice Teachers' First-Year Experiences In Curriculum Development In International Schools, Rachel Morgan Pedigo Apr 2019

A Phenomenological Study Of Novice Teachers' First-Year Experiences In Curriculum Development In International Schools, Rachel Morgan Pedigo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the experiences of teachers in Christian international schools during the process of developing curriculum for their classes during their first-year of teaching at the school. In light of the purpose of the study, the following research questions framed this investigation: How do first-year teachers describe their experiences developing curriculum during their first year of teaching at an international Christian school? What challenges do first-year teachers encounter when beginning to develop curriculum for their classes? What are first-year teachers’ expectations of support during curriculum development? How do first-year teachers describe their experiences …