Q Methodology As A Formative Tool For Facilitating Professional Development School Partnership Development, Catherine E. Wade

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

In the mid-1980s, through the work of the Holmes Group (now the Holmes Partnership) and the National Network for Educational Renewal (NNER), the term “Professional Development School” emerged as a part of the nation’s educational discourse (Brindley, Field & Lessen, 2008). The success of these PDS have been widely reported within the literature presented. However, missing from our PDS literature are studies which focus on the formative implementation and progression of the partnerships as seen through the collective perspectives of PDS stakeholders. The purpose of this study was to develop and explore a participatory process for collecting, organizing and …

The Relation Between Demographics And Art Discipline As They Pertain To Success On Advanced Placement Exams, Terrance Michael Souder

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the relation between the demographics of student and the artistic discipline of which they study at a dedicated magnet school located in the Southeastern United States as it pertains to their success on Advanced Placement (AP) exams. The literature has continually focused on several demographic indicators such as, race, gender, and socioeconomic status to examine the success on AP exams. However, there is very little research on the role that an artistic education plays as in the successful completion of an AP exam. This study examines whether there is an increase in …

Factors Predictive Of Self-Efficacy In First Year Teachers, Jessica Leigh Hamelin

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research demonstrates that there are increased teacher burnout rates within the first 5 years of entering the field (Darling-Hammond, 2003; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2010; Yost, 2006). Consistent with those findings is that teacher preparation matters when conversing about recruitment and retention (Brown, Lee, & Collins, 2014). As more research is conducted in the area of teacher preparation it has become clear that teacher effectiveness is directly related to preparation (Darling-Hammond, 2010). As teachers enter their first-year teaching, philosophical stances can change, inflated beliefs about the teaching profession can be altered, and self-efficacy is influenced. Drawing from Hoy and Spero’s (2005) …

Writing And Engagement In A Title 1 Middle School In Northeast Florida, Angela D'Alessandro Reed

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Writing is an integral part of achievement in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA). Across content areas, literacy standards for writing stipulate, “students should demonstrate increasing sophistication in all levels of language use” (www.corestandards.org, 2019). Many teachers are reluctant to incorporate writing in courses since assigning writing activities, reading, and grading of student writing and can be seen as a laborious task (Peha, 2003). This research, conducted in a Title 1 middle school in northeast Florida, is a bounded case study on the effects of writing on the physical occurrences of students’ level …

Examining The Effects Of Co-Teaching In Doubled-Sized Third Grade Classrooms In Select Northeast Florida Public Schools., Yvonne Mary Spinner

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Scholarly research on combined classes with co-teachers is sparse. The purpose of this research is to investigate and analyze the academic effects of co-teaching in double-sized third grade classrooms in urban and suburban settings. This research will explore the prevalence of this practice in select Northeast Florida public school third grade classes, the distribution between schools, and whether there is a significant difference between the academic achievement of these students and those in a traditional classroom setting, and whether there is a difference in performance between suburban and urban school co-teach classrooms. This study will examine the potential implications of …

Conscious Conclusions: The Effect Of Positive-Attitude Cues On Teacher Candidate Dispositions About Mathematics, Shelletta Baker

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to use elements for developing teacher identity, personal philosophy, beliefs about teaching and learning, and reflection to frame an examination of the effect of Positive-Attitude Cues (PACs) on teacher candidates’(n = 135) mathematics anxiety and expressive writing. Participants were randomly assigned to a treatment (PACs) or control group (No-PAC) and their dispositions about mathematics were examined using the Revised Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS-R); which had a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.96 and an expressive writing task before and after the intervention. A significant main effect of test time showed that participants …

Perceptions Of Secondary Intensive Reading Teachers Regardingthe Implementation Of Florida's Reading Policy, Rebekah R. Shively

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research was designed to explore the perceptions of secondary reading teachers regarding their experiences while they implemented Florida’s secondary intensive reading policy. The purpose of this research was to obtain feedback on the policy implementation process for continuous improvement in future policy implementation. This research was qualitatively designed and conducted with three focus groups consisting of secondary intensive reading teachers from three Florida counties respectively, Duval, Nassau, and St. Johns.

The bounding theoretical and conceptual frames of this study were founded in political systems theory and shared leadership. The data from this study were compiled from three focus groups …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Cultural Change In A Challenged High School During The Implementation Of The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, Victoria Crowell

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Academically failing schools are under scrutiny from government education administrators, policymakers, and the general public, due to chronic inabilities to lower dropout rates and to educate students who can pass high-stakes graduation assessments. States’ efforts to adhere to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act have led to the development of accountability systems to determine adequate yearly progress (AYP) and to assign schools grades, as well as wholesale reassessment of current educational programs, which are often replaced with more rigorous curricula.

Among curricular programs that have been sought as reform measures for academically failing schools is the International Baccalaureate Program …

Impact Of Teacher Demographic, Knowledge, And Instructional Variables On Children's Language Development, Donna Ellis

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether a set of teacher demographic, knowledge, and instructional variables is related to preschool children’s literacy development. Specifically, the study investigated how these teacher variables impact children’s language development scores on the four subscales of the Preschool Language Assessment Instrument, Second Edition (PLAI2) and the four subscales of the Test of Language Development – Primary, Fourth Edition (TOLD-P:4). There were two major research questions in the study: (a) Will the predictor set of CLASS emotional support, CLASS classroom organization, CLASS instructional support, level of education, years teaching pre-kindergarten, and answers on …

Activities In World History For Artistically Talented Students, Brenda Peck Oliver

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The unique characteristics and needs of artistically talented students were explored. World history students at the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts were used as a test group for the utilization of a variety of art forms in teaching world history. Lesson plans using art media for each unit of study in world history were constructed. Students responded to each lesson by completing an attitude survey. The conclusion was that the use of a variety of art in world history increased student interest and motivation. The increased student motivation resulted in a failure rate of approximately 5%, significantly lower than …

A Study To Develop Supplemental Reading Materials For Use With The Junior High School American History Curriculum, Patricia Crosby Helwig

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Through research into suggested sources a study was made to provide a collection of supplemental reading materials for use by teachers of American history at the junior high school level. These materials are intended to provide information, to promote individual achievement, to spark interests, and to be a motivation for independent reading.

The Integration Of Reading And Science To Aid Problem Readers, Genevieve J. Minge

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to explain a curriculum package which was designed for science students at Orange Park IX, ninth grade center, Clay County, Florida. The target population consists of those students who read below the sixth-grade level according to the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) scores and who are enrolled in a general science class. These students are also enrolled in a Reading Skills class and some are in the SLD and ED programs as well. Although there will be interaction with the reading, SLD, and ED teachers, the classes will not be team taught. Therefore, the science …

An Open Education Kindergarten Curriculum Guide, Dianne Tyus Howard

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to develop an open education kindergarten curriculum guide utilizing learning centers. This curriculum guide consists of a discussion of specific aspects of implementation of learning centers and a detailed analysis of twelve learning centers. Whether learning centers are implemented gradually, moderately, or totally, the following factors are essential to consider prior to implementation: physical environment, materials, classroom management, evaluation and record keeping, and parental involvement. The following learning centers are discussed in-depth with respect to goals, objectives, enabling activities, and materials and supplies: math, science, language arts, social studies, art, music, block building, dramatic …