Education Commons^™

An Examination Of Semester-Long Review Of Behavior Referral Data At A High School In A Southeastern State, Shalanda L. Shuler

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine semester-long referral data from a ninth-grade cohort in a public school in a southeastern state. The research question for this study was the following: What will the examination of semester-long referral data from the entire ninth-grade cohort of a public school in a southeastern state reveal? The problem that prompted this study centered around the ninth grade having the highest number of office disciplinary referrals (ODRs) in the Henderson County school district (pseudonym). Students who routinely receive ODRs run the danger of failing their classes and are more likely to have been …

The Impact Of Cognitive Coaching On High School English Teachers’ Implementation Of Metacognitve Reading Strategies, Charrai Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

The problem that this action research study addressed was the ineffective facilitation strategies used in professional development for teachers. The purpose of the study was to determine whether reflective practices impact teachers’ instructional decisions. The study used Cognitive Coaching, a reflective coaching model, as its intervention. To gather data the study used classroom observations, coaching conversations, and an eight-question structured survey administered at the end of the study. This qualitative case study included three high school English teachers as its participants and the study was conducted at two different high schools in a suburban school district in the Southeast. The …

The Effects Of Gamified Peer Feedback On Student Writing In High School English Language Arts, Kerise Amaris Broome

Theses and Dissertations

National assessments on writing show that student proficiency is low in part because many high school students lack revision skills. Compounding the problem is that as classroom sizes grow, teachers have less time to give the feedback that students need to improve. Peer feedback shows promise in being able to solve the feedback problem, but it must be carefully structured to be effective. The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the impact of gamified peer feedback in a high school English Language Arts classroom at Southern Charter High School. Three research questions guided this study: (1) What impact …

“We Make A Life By What We Give”: The Impact Of A High School Mentoring Program On The Perceptions And Academic Achievement Of Black Males, Brandon R. Ross

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study describes how a high school mentoring program impacts the academic achievement and postsecondary planning of Black male students. It further explores the perception Black male students have on school and their White teachers. The theoretical frameworks that support this research are social bonding theory (SBT) and critical race theory (CRT). This study used a qualitative design through a survey to examine the following research questions: “How does a high school mentoring program impact the academic achievement and perception of school for Black male students?” The study further examined “How a high school mentoring program impacts the …

Student’S Perspectives Of Chronic Absenteeism In A Suburban High School, Herbert Allen Gray

Theses and Dissertations

For many students, school attendance is a critical issue. There have been several studies conducted concerning attendance numbers. These studies have shown that poor attendance often affects grades, graduation rates, and socioeconomic status post-high school. The purpose of this study was to first investigate the reasons behind absences and attitudes towards school and classes because of missed days. The second purpose was to determine if a weekly mentoring meeting had any noticeable effect on attendance. The targeted pool of students consisted of those who had been identified as chronically absent the previous semester. An initial set of open-ended questions and …

Using Blended Learning And Writing Conferences To Develop High Schoolers’ Writing Skills And Self-Regulated Learning, Ashley Nicole Galloway-Speight

Theses and Dissertations

Strong writing skills are an essential element in all areas of life. Written communication is pervasive in both daily life and the workplace. Yet nationwide studies reveal that many students in America graduate from high school with insufficient writing skills. Studies on writing instruction suggest that a shift to teaching writing as a process rather than a product, presentation of quality individualized, focused feedback, and teaching of metacognitive writing skills can help improve writing skills in high school students. The purpose of this mixed methods action research was to determine how the supplemental use of face-to-face writing conferences combined with …

Student Perceptions Of Their Engagement With Online Writing As Influenced By Their Teacher’S Presence At A Virtual High School: A Mixed Methods Study, Adrienne Harvie

Theses and Dissertations

This convergent mixed-methods action study explored the virtual high school student perception of how their engagement on writing assignments is affected by the presence of their English teacher in an online class. Research questions specifically focused on how teacher presence in the virtual classroom affects student engagement in online writing assignments. Another question asked how students perceive teacher presence in the virtual classroom and the third question examined how students perceived their engagement in online writing assignments is affected by teacher presence.

In this study two English teachers at a virtual high school were mentored by the researcher to increase …

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 …

Leveling Up Instruction: Action Research Evaluating The Impact Of Gamification On The Intrinsic Motivation And Academic Performance Of Students Disaffected From High School English Language Arts, Michael Brian Jett

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the impact of gamification on the intrinsic motivation and academic performance of students disaffected from high school English language arts (ELA). Three questions guided this study: (a) how does gamification affect the intrinsic motivation of students disaffected from high school ELA, (b) does gamification affect the academic performance of students disaffected from high school ELA, and (c) what recommendations can students offer after reflecting on their experiences with gamification?

The game elements of challenge, narrative, role-play, and teamwork were incorporated into the design of a five-week instructional unit focused on research …

The Impact Of Individualized Structured Reading Intervention On High School Students In Special Education: An Action Research Study, Nikki Clark

Theses and Dissertations

Reading skills comprise the following three categories: decoding, fluency, and comprehension. All three of these skills are necessary for students to become successful readers in and out of academic settings. Many students in special education read far below their grade level; difficulty reading is particularly challenging for such students because, in addition to limiting academic success, under-developed reading skills compromise students’ academic and functional independence. This study aimed to examine how a structured, individualized reading intervention may help high school students in special education – students who have been diagnosed with one specific disability or a combination of approved disabilities …

Challenges Of Attempting A Pedagogical Shift From An Essentialist Classroom To The Reformed Model, Joshua Germany

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study is to examine the challenges a teacher faces when shifting from an essentialist classroom toward a reformed approach in a high school US History class. The action research is taking place at a high school predominantly comprised of minority students who are considered to be of a high level of poverty.

The theoretical framework centers around the belief that a constructivist classroom will increase student engagement while enabling the students enhance their critical inquiry skills. This study’s mixed methods design uses both quantitative and qualitative data in a narrative case study describing the …

The Impact Of Project-Based Learning On Student Learning Perspectives And Achievement In A Social Studies Classroom, Jason Brisini

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the possible impact of project-based learning on student learning perspective and achievement in a social studies classroom. American schools are in an era of standardized testing based on standards-driven curricula that only teaches basic recall and recognition. School curriculum should be focused on providing students with the skills necessary for them to be successful after high school graduation. Higher-level thinking skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, and self-direction are not easily learned with traditional, essentialist teaching methods. Students can quickly look up facts with ready access to the internet, so they need …

Detracking High School Physical Science Classes Through Teacher Efficacy: An Action Research Study, Vincent Scott Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

This study uses the action research method to determine whether students enrolled in a basic science course (Physical Science College Prep) can be successful learning more advanced material (Physical Science Advanced) by increasing teacher efficacy. Currently, there are three levels of Physical Science courses taught at the study school, a high school in South Carolina, USA. The most basic course, Physical Science College Prep, is comprised of 76% minority students, and 56% who receive a free or reduced-cost lunch. In the spring semester of 2017, a group of students (n = 14) completed two units of study: Unit One - …

Life After Graduation: Exploring The Utility Of A College And Career Research Project In Defining Students’ Post-High School Goals, Ashley E. Bowers

Theses and Dissertations

In order to assist students with their digital research skills while simultaneously allowing them to research and explore college and career options, a Project-Based Learning (PBL) assignment was incorporated into the secondary English classroom. This served multiple purposes: providing students guidance and support as they determine their future college and career goals, meeting several of the South Carolina 9-12 English/Language Arts standards, and increasing students’ College and Career Readiness. The site for this quantitative action research study was English 3 classes in a large, rural high school in the Charleston, South Carolina area. Quantitative, statistical data was collected from a …