Education Commons^™

A Holistic Approach To Culturally Relevant Education In Biology To Examine Student Engagement, Robyn Brooke Biery

Theses and Dissertations

Recognizing that many students were disengaged in my grade-level biology class, this study sought to improve student engagement as a result of the implementation of CRE-enriched instruction and to describe themes associated with CRE and engagement. This qualitative action research study used a survey, exit tickets, and observations to discover emergent themes as a result of implementing CRE-enriched lessons. This action research study used member checking and disconfirming evidence to increase rigor and transferability. The results were that the use of CRE-enriched lessons increased the engagement of grade-level students in biology, and that engagement requires a two-pronged approach – cultural …

The Impact Of A Four-Station Blended Learning Model Of Differentiating Instruction On Student Engagement In A Middle School Chinese I Class In A Southeastern State, Junlan Li

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to examine the impact of the proposed Four-Station Blended Learning Model (FSBLM) on the engagement level of four middle school students in a Chinese as a foreign language class. For the purposes of the study, student engagement is defined by three aspects: (1) participation in class activities, (2) classwork completion, and (3) student perceptions of Chinese class. Incorporating an action research design, data was collected through utilizing Likert-scale pre- and post-surveys, pre- and post-interviews, observations and the taking of field notes, students’ work samples, and classwork grades. Both qualitative and quantitative data were …

Student Perceptions Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy And The Impact On Teacher-Student Relationships, Robert Louis Harris

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore how six eighth-grade Magnet Program students perceive their teacher-student relationship through the teacher’s use of culturally relevant pedagogy. This case study provided information that guides a classroom teacher in the implementation of culturally relevant pedagogy that helps develop and maintain teacher-student relationships. The resulting analysis and interpretation provided major themes that developed regarding the use of culturally relevant strategies in the classroom.

This study informs educators in the profession about the extent to which students perceptions impact their relationship with the teacher. Findings could be used by teachers and administrators to advocate …

Authentic Assessments And Their Impact On Engagement Of Gifted Learners In Washington County Public Schools: An Action Research Study, Felicia Jo Lowman-Sikes

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods, action research project focused on how gifted learners perceived their levels of engagement when presented with differing assessment types. The project, which took place in Washington County Virginia Public Schools, investigated how middle and high school gifted learners’ engagement differed when completing authentic assessments versus multiple choice assessments. A purposeful sample was chosen with participants then completing Likert-type surveys and semi-structured interviews. Classroom observations were conducted at both the middle and high school levels. Data and findings were triangulated to complete the research process.

Implementing The Flex Model Of Blended Learning In A World History Classroom: How Blended Learning Affects Student Engagement And Mastery, Kristin N. Davis

Theses and Dissertations

In the following action research plan, an explanatory sequential mixed methods research study of the implementation of the Flex model of blended learning in a World History classroom is presented. The study and its findings are used to measure mastery of, engagement with, and understanding of historical concepts presented in a six-week unit on the Enlightenment and the various revolutions this period in history caused. Data collection and analysis, including data from pre- and post-tests, Likert scale surveys, exit tickets, and student artifacts, are discussed. The pre- and post-tests were analyzed quantitatively using descriptive statistics (minimum and maximum score, average …

Student Engagement With Video Instruction—How To Engage 7th-Grade Social Studies Students And Diverse Academic Abilities With Video In The Classroom, Andrew Miller

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods action research study explored the use of video-enhanced instruction in a seventh-grade social studies classroom in a small, rural middle school in the southeast United States. The primary research questions for this study was, How do different strategies for video-enhanced instruction support or challenge engagement in learning for students with diverse academic abilities? This dissertation will describe how I used the SAMR model of technology integration (Puentedura, 2012), and David Havens’ (2014) framework for engagement with technology to enact and study the impact of three different ways that video-enhanced instruction could be used to support students identified …

The Impact Of A Problem-Posing Approach On Student Engagement In An Esl Classroom In A Mid-Atlantic State, Beverly Anne Richardson Jewett

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impact of a problem-posing approach on student engagement in an ESL classroom at a community college in a Mid-Atlantic state. This study took place during the Spring 2019 semester with seven participants, two males and five females. Data were collected through pre- and post-surveys, pre- and post-interviews, student work artifacts, informal interviews, and field observations. The results of the study revealed that the students perceived an increase in their own engagement through a problem-posing instructional approach. Furthermore, the results revealed increased students’ value of collaboration, an environment that disarmed the fear of speaking, and connections to …

The Impact Of One-To-One Ipad Instruction On Student Engagement, Sherri Herbst

Theses and Dissertations

The action research study describes the experiences of 14 elementary students using one-to-one (1:1) iPad instruction to engage in learning Spanish as a second language (L2). The student-participants used 1:1 iPads to learn Spanish over an 8 week unit of study. Data was comprised of scores from a student-participant engagement rubric scored by the teacher-participant before and after the study as well as summative structured surveys with student-participants to determine their perceptions of the iPad unit. Data were also collected in participant-researcher’s daily field notes and journal entries. Formative self-reflective journals were also kept by student-participants. Summative artifacts were collected …

Teaching Goal Setting Strategies In A Title I Elementary School; An Action Research Study, Susan Ridgeway Nunamaker

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative action research study is to explore the impact of goal setting on the learning process of fifth-grade students in a Title I school. The subjects of this research study are 17 fifth-grade student-participants along with their homeroom teacher-participant. A goal setting unit was designed specifically for this action research study to enable student-participants to experience setting mastery goals and to develop an academic engagement practice through goal setting; thus empowering them for future learning. Semi-structured student interviews, student data journals in the form of goal setting forms, and an open-ended interview with the teacher-participant provide …

A Phenomenological Study Of Student Engagement In United States History Classrooms, Emily Louvette Manigault

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore the relationship between student engagement and the perception of academic achievement (learning) by teachers and students in an urban high school social studies course. Over the past several years, educational leaders and researchers have tried to find a cause for a number of issues in public education, including low academic achievement, increasing student drop-out rates and the decline of positive perceptions of schools in general. As a result, there has been increasing research done on the level of engagement that students experience during their schooling. Much of the research has focused …