Education Commons^™

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences That Motivate Young People To Volunteer As 4 H Camp Teen Leaders, Ruth E. Wallace

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences that motivate teenagers to volunteer as 4 H Camp teen leaders in Virginia. The theories guiding this study were Lerner and Overton’s relational developmental systems theory (RDST) and Ryan and Deci’s self-determination theory (SDT). They relate to the developmental connection between an individual and the surrounding context and internal and external influences as motivating factors, respectively. The two theories together informed this study which sought to answer the central research question “What lived experiences do teens identify that motivate them to volunteer as 4 H Camp teen leaders?” …

From Dropout To Doctorate: A Phenomenology Of The Self-Determination Of Individuals Who Persisted To Completion, Nancy Catherine Hamilton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of former high school dropouts in the Continental United States who self-determined to persist to doctoral degree attainment. The theory that guided this study was the self-determination theory with support from the self-efficacy theory and adult learning theory. These three theories framed this study, which sought to discover the motivating factors, life influences, and perseverance required of former high school dropouts who determined to re-enter academia and pursue an education to the doctoral level. The problem this study sought to address was the need to discover the …

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 …

A Culturally Sustaining Book Club: The Examination Of African American Students' Motivation And Literacy Achievement, Brittney C. Jones

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Culturally sustaining pedagogy includes centering students’ cultural identities, languages, and practices in the classroom. Such practices have had positive effects on the reading achievement and motivation of African American students. In particular, communalism and interdependence are cultural themes that are preferred by African American students and parents. Book clubs are a long-standing literacy activity that centers student voices and social interactions as the basis of student learning.

This mixed-methods intervention study was conducted to determine the effects of a culturally sustaining book club on second and third-grade African American students’ motivation and reading achievement at a Title I school as …

Covid-19 Impact On Radiology Students’ Distance Learning (Spring 2021), Mary Lee, Jason Chan, Cherylann Jackson-Holmes, Renzo Marmolejo, Zoya Vinokur

Publications and Research

Radiologic Technology students are well into a full year of distance learning. The Juniors are utilizing a hybrid mode, where they continue to have laboratory classes on campus at half capacity and every other week. The Senior students are completely learning through distance learning and focusing their efforts on reviewing for their licensing exams. Both cohorts are in clinical rotation with COVID-19, a smaller threat to their schooling, but still a hazard that can impact their personal and educational lives. With the use of surveys that are distributed during online classes, we hope to evaluate how a full semester of …

Research On Effects Of Grading, Heather J. Leslie Phd

Learning Design Center: Staff Scholarship

I believe we have shared goals for our students to become happy, ethical, caring, compassionate, independent, self-motivated, curious critical thinkers and lifelong learners. Decades of research on the effects of grades and grading undermines those goals. This executive summary presents just some of research on how grading affects students’ mental health, intrinsic motivation, critical thinking, and relationships with teachers and peers. Student survey results are included from a course taught without the use of grades.

How Instructors Can Enhance Biology Students' Motivation, Learning, And Grades Through Brief Relevance Writing And Worked-Example Interventions, Kyle R. Mara, Avi Kaplan, Michael J. Balsai, Jennifer G. Cromley, Tony Perez, Ting Dai

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

The high failure rate of students in "gateway" science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses has been a persistent problem for biology programs nationwide. Common wisdom contends that addressing this problem requires major curricular overhauls. While desirable, such large systematic changes are often expensive or impractical. We propose an alternative approach: supplementing the regular instruction with brief online modules targeting specific cognitive (learning) and motivational mechanisms. We conducted an intervention study to test the effects of different combinations of cognitive and motivational modules on undergraduate introductory biology students' learning, motivation, achievement, and intentions to remain in science. Introductory biology students …

Covid-19 Impact On Radiology Students’ Distance Learning, Mary Lee, Fahameda Hassan, Zoya Vinokur

Publications and Research

Distance learning (DL) is a teaching tool that offers education to students remotely in various locations (Ruiz, 2006). The increase in distance learning education is evident in all types of educational programs including those in Radiologic Sciences. DL education programs are expected to comply with all standards just as traditional programs are (Aaron, 2015). With a traditional class setting, knowledge is taught at a given time and day, which is structured in terms of course development and attendance. It does not factor in the domestic and familial responsibilities of the students outside the classroom walls. What happens when a pandemic …

The Intersection Of Job Satisfaction, Job Dissatisfaction, And Motivation Of Instructional Designers In Online Higher Education: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Laura Elaine Dykstra

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Online education has become a significant part of the strategic growth and health of institutions of higher education (HEIs) today. Instructional designers support the strategic mission of the HEI, and while research to date has looked extensively at the role of the instructional designer in higher education, no research has looked at the experience of the instructional designer focusing specifically on the feelings and intersection of job satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and motivation. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to understand the experiences related to job satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and motivation for instructional designers working in online higher education. The theoretical …

Motivation In The Mathematics Classroom, Evan Thornton-Kolbe

Honors Theses

Mathematics has always seemed to be an unpopular subject amongst primary and secondary students in the United States. This project seeks to identify the roots of these attitudes and examine them in ways that allow for personal reflection, community building, and student advocacy. An individual’s access to educational resources and equitable treatment play a large role in shaping their mathematics learning identity. This topic was examined via traditional research methods for the written paper portion and also includes a set of lesson plans for teachers to use. These lesson plans utilize the ideas discussed in the paper portion to provide …

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 …

Using Assessment Feedback For Motivation Among Early Adolescents: A Grounded Theory Study, Nichole L. Griffin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to develop a general theory explaining how verbal or written teacher feedback on formative assessments may influence early adolescent motivation for academic achievement, along the SDT continuum. I based this study on Deci and Ryan’s (2000) self-determination theory (SDT), and to a lesser degree expectancy-value theory (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000) and self-efficacy theory (Bandura, 1993). I also used Tunstall and Gipps’ (1996) typology research as a framework for describing and classifying feedback in the data. Related literature and research findings are presented to lay a foundation for the study and identify the …

Measuring Transparency: A Learning-Focused Assignment Rubric, Michael S. Palmer, Emily O. Gravett, Jennifer Lafleur

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

By combining recommendations for effective assignment design with principles of transparency and the value-expectancy theory of achievement motivation, we developed a rubric capable of for assessing the quality and guiding the design of assignment descriptions. This rubric defines criteria characteristic of well-designed assignments; breaks the criteria down into concrete, measurable components; and suggests what evidence for each component might look like. While the full rubric is valid for major, signature assignments, it can accommodate a diverse range. It can also provide summative, quantitative information to educational developers for research and formative, qualitative feedback to instructors for gauging the quality of …

The Influence Of Teacher Gender On College Student Motivation And Engagement In An Online Environment, Zacharia Jacob Varughese

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of teacher gender on student motivation and engagement. The study addressed the question: Is there a statistical difference among the motivation and engagement scores of males taught by male teachers (MM), males taught by female teachers (MF), females taught by male teachers (FM), and females taught by female teachers (FF) enrolled in online science courses? Exploring this topic allowed educators to identify strategies for quality teaching and learning, increase graduation rates, and decrease student delinquency. This quantitative study used a causal-comparative research design and the Motivation and Engagement Scale (MES) …

The Effect Of The Flipped Classroom On Urban High School Students' Motivation And Academic Achievement In A High School Science Course, Keshia Dixon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated the effect of the flipped classroom on urban high school students’ motivation and academic achievement in a high school science course. In this quantitative study, the sample population was comprised of North Star High School 12th grade students enrolled in human anatomy and physiology. A quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest non-equivalent group design was conducted. After receipt of Liberty University Institutional Review Board approval and the school district’s Department of Research and Evaluation for School Improvement, students completed a pretest comprised of the Science Motivation Questionnaire II (SMQ-II) and the Human Anatomy and Physiology Unit Test. Participants in the experimental …

An Examination Of Motivational Levels Of Non-Traditional Undergraduate Business And Education Majors, Kristopher Bradshaw

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research dissertation was developed for the purpose of advancing the literature in the realm of student motivation. Previous research in the field has placed little emphasis on the adult, non-traditional student population. Adult, non-traditional students represents an important part of the higher education climate in the United States and the unique motivators of this population needs further examination in order to more closely align academic programs and services with motives and goals. The research questions seek to answer if a significant difference exists between the intrinsic and extrinsic motivational levels of business majors compared to education majors in the …

The Effects Of Strategy Instruction In Reading Informational Text On Reading Level And Motivation Of Fifth Grade Students, Michelle Adler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this nonequivalent control-group design study was to determine if students had an increase in reading level and motivation to read when more informational text and instruction was added into the curriculum. The independent variables were the reading curriculum, with Success for All (SFA) used with the control group and SFA with additional instruction in informational text used with the study group. The dependent variables were reading level and levels of motivation determined by the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) and the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) measured after eight weeks of instruction and again three months post-study. The …

The Effects Of Student Self-Assessment With Goal Setting On Fourth Grade Mathematics Students: Creating Self-Regulating Agents Of Learning, Laura Clift

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With the national trend toward student accountability as learners, few studies have identified effective instructional strategies that motivate elementary students in becoming agents of learning and the effect of these strategies on academic achievement. This quantitative study investigated the effect of student self-assessment with goal setting (SAGS), based on the work of Stiggins, Arter, Chappuis, and Chappuis (2006), on elementary school students’ academic achievement and motivation in mathematics. This study employed a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest, nonequivalent control-group design. Participants were 130 students drawn from six intact classes of fourth graders from five elementary schools located in a large Archdiocese in the …

Mathematical Game Creation And Play Assists Students In Practicing Newly-Learned Challenging Concepts, Kalyn Jon Cody, Audrey C. Rule, Benjamin R. Forsyth

Curriculum & Instruction Faculty Publications

Twenty-four high-performing fifth grade students (aged 10 - 11 years) participated in a year-long study in which conditions alternated for six instructional units between lecture-based mathematics instruction and practice through solving additional problems in small groups versus practice through designing and playing mathematics games related to the topic. Students scored similarly on all units at the time of the posttest. Creating games allowed students to examine concepts on their own, making sense of them at a deeper level, avoiding confusion. Game-making may also have made the mathematics more personal, relevant, and interesting. The authors suggest that mathematics teachers consider adding …

An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Using A Hybrid Pbl Approach In The Teaching Of The Java Programming Language To First Year Third Level, James Doody

Stream 2: Curriculum

First year students on third level Computing courses find Software Development difficult: learner outcomes are poor, with high failure rates and low learner retention. A number of research studies have shown that novice programmers have low intrinsic motivation and low programming self-efficacy. One of the other possible explanations for the difficulties many learners have with Software Development is that it may be a Threshold Concept in Computing. The literature suggests that Problem-Based Learning (PBL) can improve the teaching of difficult concepts, and it has been promoted by professional and funding bodies as a teaching strategy that can improve learner outcomes …

Laptops And Language Learning: A Mixed Methods Study Of Technology Integration And Student Engagement, Ginger R. Starks-Yoble Ph.D.

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Student engagement and motivation have been a common focus among educational researchers over the last forty years. Self-determination theory and the inclusive definition of self-regulated learning have identified that both cognitive and motivational engagement are paramount for successful language learning. Within this canon of research, few have looked at student engagement as a result of effective technology integration during the language learning process. This mixed methods study explored students’ perceptions of engagement while learning with technology integration in a first-year language class. Qualitative data was collected from a sub-sample of ten students, in the form of semi-structured interviews, journal reflections, …

Comprehension And Motivation Levels In Conjunction With The Use Of Ebooks With Audio: A Quasi-Experimental Study Of Post-Secondary Remedial Reading Students, Kimberly Wheeler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quasi-experimental pretest, posttest nonequivalent control group study investigated the comprehension scores and motivation levels of post-secondary remedial reading students in a two-year technical college in Northwest Georgia using an eBook, an eBook with audio, and a print book. After reading a module on Purpose and Tone in the three book formats, data was collected from a convenience sample of 67 participants. Data consisted of reading comprehension scores taken from a pretest and posttest and reading motivation scores taken from a pre-survey and post-survey. The pretest and pre-survey were not used as covariates in the final analyses as they were …

Effects Of Sex, Third Grade Reading Achievement And Motivation As Predictors Of Fourth Grade Reading Achievement Of Hispanic Students: A Path Analysis, Vivian M. Del Rio

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the topic of motivation for intermediate students combining both an objective criterion measure (i.e., standardized test scores) and the self-report of students on self-concept and value of reading. The purpose of this study was to examine how third grade reading achievement correlated with the motivation of fourth grade boys and girls, and, in turn, how motivation related to fourth grade reading achievement.

The participants were fourth grade students (n=207) attending two public, elementary schools in Miami-Dade County who were of primarily Hispanic origin or descent. Data were collected using the Reading Survey portion of the …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Male At-Risk Sixth, Seventh And Eighth Grade Students' Perceptions Toward Reading, Jason Douma

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the perceptions that male at-risk sixth, seventh and eighth grade students' possess toward reading at a small rural public school district in Michigan. Male at-risk students was generally defined as students below grade level in reading based on their STAR reading assessment. Male students may have developed certain perceptions toward reading based their continual struggle with reading and teacher practices, such as grouping strategies, throughout their academic lifetime. To discover the essence of male at-risk sixth, seventh and eighth grade students' perceptions data collection was gathered through surveys, interviews and explanations …

Guided Reading And Motivation, Allyson L. Hauptman

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between Guided Reading and student motivation across fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. The study defined literacy motivation as: (a) task value; (b) self-perceived competence; (c) students’ perceptions of the Guided Reading format. Factor analysis and repeated measures ANOVAs were used to determine differences in motivation after implementation of Guided Reading. The Developing Language and Literacy Teaching Rubric-Guided Reading data were used in determining the level at which participating teachers implemented the Guided Reading format. Results showed that Guided Reading is not a motivating instructional strategy for fourth, fifth, and sixth …

The Power Of Setting Smartr Goals, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Presentations and White Papers

Welcome to the Extension Update! My name is Connie Reimers-Hild, and I am an Extension Educator focused in leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship at the Kimmel Education and Research Center in Nebraska City. In today’s Extension Update, I will present the power of setting SMARTR Goals!

We all hear about how important it is to set goals, but very few of us to actually do it. What if we made the process of goal setting more personally fulfilling and more fun? As a Certified Professional Coach, I have used SMARTR goal setting with my clients. Establishing SMARTR goals can be powerful …

Getting To Global Yes! Designing A Distributed Student Collaboration, Selma Limam Mansar, Randy Weinberg, Benjamin Kok Siew Gan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The authors have taught a course called 'Global Project Management' for four years, engaging students in three international locations in hands-on distance projects. The distance projects are intended to provide students with enriching, realistic global project experience. With experience, improved planning and better coordination, each iteration of the distance projects has improved. In this paper, the authors present lessons learned and a mind map demonstrating key aspects of design of global hands-on projects.

G99-1397 Motivating Your Employees, John E. Barbuto, Jr., Lance L. Brown

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The ability to motivate employees is often the difference between extraordinary and mediocre leadership. This guide provides a useful tool for understanding and motivating employees.

Leaders who are able to motivate their workers will have a better chance of reducing the typical labor problems faced in today's economy (turnover, absenteeism and low productivity). In the past, when the state's economy was weaker than it is today, agricultural leaders didn't have to worry about these labor issues because there were plenty of workers to choose from. Because of the expansion of agricultural enterprises and Nebraska's exceptionally low unemployment rate, finding, keeping …