Education Commons^™

A Case Study Exploring Organizational Development And Performance Management In The Operational Infrastructure Of A Professional Working Organization, Using Academic Constructs, Wm. Casey Crear

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Curriculum, as a concept, has been historically associated with traditional schooling, but the reality is that its application extends to many arenas beyond academia. Through the case study lens, this dissertation utilized the ideologies of curricular theorists John Dewey, John Franklin Bobbitt, and Ralph Tyler to explore how intended, enacted, and assessed curricula phases can integrate into a professional working organization’s comprehensive functionality and materialize into the planning and implementation of its operational infrastructure. Following content analysis of a selected institution’s operational system, using closed codes, a descriptive comprehensive curriculum was designed to address the research purpose of understanding …

Searching For Innovation, Creativity And 21st Century Skills: A Case Study Of A Suburban Elementary School District, Robert Alexander Serdar

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to seek out and identify the traits, attitudes and characteristics of innovative, creative and highly effective teachers within a suburban elementary school district. Participants included five elementary teachers who were identified by their colleagues as being exceptionally innovative, creative and fostering 21^st Century Skills. The research method for this qualitative case study consisted of teacher interviews, student interviews, and multiple classroom observations by the researcher. From this, seven themes, or practices, of highly innovative, creative teachers of 21^st Century Skills emerged: (1) See the Teacher as Lead Learner (2) Encourage Learner Reflection …

A Proposal For The Program “Information Communication Technology For Development” (Ict4d) To The Cal Poly Campus, Mika Jennifer Raz

Communication Studies

California Polytechnic State University is a university that prides itself on the “Learn by Doing” motto. A qualitative study was completed to analyze students and faculty views on the amount of “Learn by Doing” and interdisciplinary work that is currently done within specific colleges and courses. By proposing an implementation of the Information Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) program to the Cal Pol campus, students will have the opportunity to en- gage in more “Learn by Doing” and interdisciplinary work. Positive feedback was retrieved, however several organizational barriers arose.

Professional Learning Communities And School Culture: A Case Of Study In District-Wide Implementation Of A Plc, Jaime Lopez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this study is to explore what influence a school district’s transformation to a PLC had on culture. In particular, the study examined what dimensions of a PLC are evident, how the district approached the change process, and its influence on student achievement. The methodology employed in this study is a Type 2 single-case study. Data regarding this district’s implementation of a PLC, and its influence on school culture was gathered via sources of evidence common in case study research; survey, documents, archival records, direct observations, and interviews. In summary, the findings suggest the following; (1) PLC work …

A Study Of Conceptual And Language Issues Surrounding Weight, Weightlessness, And Free Fall: Textbook Analysis, Instructional Design, And Assessment, Rex Taibu

Dissertations

Science education is an interdisciplinary field that has developed from and continues to rely on research in the fields of cognitive science, philosophy, psychology, sociology and history. This clearly reflects that learning and teaching can be studied from multiple perspectives. Despite these wide ranging roots, contemporary science education by and large is not informed by the work of research on linguistics, and in particular, the role of language in mediating conceptual understanding. The term “weight” has multiple meanings in both science and everyday language, and this unfortunately creates inherent difficulties for teaching and learning. The present study addresses a need …

Effects Of The Omrit Project On Student And Alumni Participants From Macalester College, Nancy Bostrom

Capstone Collection

As participation in short-term study abroad programs increases, practitioners seek to understand the effects of these programs not just in terms of increasing participation in study abroad, but also with an emphasis on understanding the effects of these programs on student learning. Some research indicates that program design, rather than length, determines a successful experience abroad; however, the literature also reveals concern that there is not enough data to understand the impact of short-term programs on student learning and that much of the available research is too focused on immediate rather than longer lasting effects.

This paper reports on a …

The Influence Of Placement In A Co-Taught Inclusive Classroom On The Academic Achievement Of General Education Students On The 2014 New York State Ela And Mathematics Assessments In Grades 6-8 In A Suburban New York School District, Michael M. St. John

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the influence of placement in a co-taught inclusive classroom on the academic achievement of general education students in Grades 6-8 in a suburban New York school district on the 2014 New York State ELA and Mathematics Assessments. Propensity score matching was utilized to select the sample to provide a balanced sampling technique. The final sample was comprised of 746 students in Grades 6-8 in a suburban New York upper middle class district during the 2013-14 school year. The variables that were included in this study were gender, socioeconomic status, attendance, ethnicity, past academic performance as measured by …

The Superintendent As Transformational Leader: A Case Study Analysis Of The Strategies, Initiatives And Processes Used By Superintendents Of Exemplar 21st Century School Districts To Implement District-Wide Change For The 21st Century, Rebecca A. Summers

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify and describe the visions, frameworks, strategies, initiatives and change models used by eight superintendents of exemplar 21st century school districts as designated by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, in order to successfully implement a district-wide 21st century learning model. Semi-structured interviews were used to provide rich narratives of the superintendents’ experiences with the transformational change processes in their districts as they implemented 21st century models of education. The interviews were coded and analyzed for common themes and patterns. The findings revealed that although the superintendents were system thinkers about …

The Benefits Of Art For Children With Special Needs : A Guidebook For Teachers, Rachel Rothberg

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This thesis gives information to educators about the benefits of art with children, specifically those who require special education. It will examine different lessons and activities that can help achieve positive results for children. It includes specific lesson plans, sample artwork of children, brief assessment of these sample works, a personal narrative of individual experience, and interviews with an occupational therapist and art therapist.

The Storm Still Echoes: Suspense And Ambivalence As A Way Of Life, Shailen Mishra

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of three interrelated components that inquire into two themes: the epistemological and aesthetic merit of narrative suspense, and the generative potential of constraint-based writing. In the opening chapter, titled "Doubt in Perpetuity: Rethinking Suspense as a Mode of Aesthetics, and an Epistemological Inquiry," I undertake a theoretical inquiry to prove that suspense can be a rich analytical device to study complex aesthetics of writers. I theorize suspense at its elemental level and from an epistemological standpoint to prove that suspense is not simply a plot-level concept of "what happens next." Instead, by analyzing particular scenes from …

Learning In Green Spaces : A 1st And 2nd Grade Curriculum On The High Line, Alyssa Anker

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This social studies curriculum provides educators with the framework for teaching 1st and 2nd graders about the High Line and other New York City parks. It provides the lens for students to explore how parks are used, observe the commonalities among different parks, and investigate the uniqueness of the High Line.

Encouraging Esl Teachers To Empower Their Students To Read, Rachael M. Van Liefde

Master's Projects and Capstones

In the US, thousands of international students are studying, or are preparing to study, at institutions of higher education. Unfortunately, the below satisfactory English skills of these students are a concern worldwide. One of the most critical factors affecting their academic progress is their reading skills.

It is widely accepted that a successful student in higher education must be able to read and comprehend assigned readings quickly. However, reading speed and comprehension pose a significant obstacle for ESL students who are pursuing these goals. How can ESL teachers assist their students at the high beginning, intermediate or advanced levels in …

An Exploration Of The Influence Of Nursing Education Culture On The Integration Of Nursing Informatics Competencies Into A Collaborative Nursing Program Curriculum, Stephanie L. Atthill

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Information communication technologies are becoming a customary part of the way in which nurses provide care. Consequently, it makes good sense to ensure that nursing informatics competencies are integrated into nursing curricula to prepare graduates for practice. However, few schools of nursing within Canada have fully integrated nursing informatics competencies into their curricula. Nursing education culture appears to influence decision-making, and the development of organizational priorities. Nonetheless, there are no known studies examining how nursing education culture impacts nursing informatics curriculum development endeavours. Therefore, this study aimed to address the following research questions: 1) In what ways does a nursing …

Effective Techniques For Teaching Phrasal Verbs To Improve The Communicative Competence Of Chinese English Learners, Guohua Fu

Master's Projects and Capstones

This project provides a teaching guidebook for both English as a Second Language (ESL) students and teachers. Most learners do not know how to use phrasal verbs in their daily conversation even if they have already learned them. Moreover, it is hard for students to remember phrasal verbs they learned if they don’t practice them in meaningful contexts. This project will address the problem of the ineffective instruction of English in China and the exclusion of two-word verbs from the Chinese curriculum. Due to the differences in linguistic and education backgrounds, ESL teachers and students desire a guidebook that is …

The Stories We All Share : A Sixth Grade Geography Curriculum Based On Paul Salopek's "Out Of Eden Walk", Georgina Wells

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This sixth grade geography curriculum is based on a digital journalism series called the "Out of Eden Walk," in which Paul Salopek, a journalist for National Geographic, is spending seven years walking the path of early human migration and digitally reporting the stories he encounters. The curriculum follows him on his journey, as students read his and other stories about early man, Africa, and the Middle East. Students also design and report findings from their own walks.

Exploration Of The Relationships Between And Among Role Strain, Faculty Stress, And Organizational Support For Clinical Nurse Faculty Faced With A Decision To Assign A Failing Grade, Jeannie Couper

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Despite a stressful process, Clinical Nurse Faculty (CNF) are ultimately responsible for assigning a grade indicating that a student successfully met clinical course outcomes and standards of safe practice required to progress (Amicucci, 2012). The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to explore the relationships between perceived role strain (PRS), perceived faculty stress (PFS), and perceived organizational support (POS) for CNF who faced the decision to assign a failing grade to a student in a clinical practicum. A national sample of 390 predominantly full-time, female, experienced CNF teaching in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs completed the online survey consisting …

The Gendered Image : An Art And Literature Based Curriculum For High School Audiences, Emily Erwin-Mcguire

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This curriculum uses images, artwork, literature and media to facilitate conversations to build knowledge and understanding about feminism and self-identity. It is designed to be used by educators of high school students in school, museum or after school settings.

Towards A Constructivist Grammar Curriculum For The United States, Tyler Crafts Jennings

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The author argues that educators must forge an alternative method to teaching grammar: the explicit, constructivist teaching of grammar within the meaningful context of a writing curriculum.

The Sun Is Yellow, The Bird Is Black : Fostering A Progressive Pedagogy In Rural Rwanda, Stephanie L. Davis

Graduate Student Independent Studies

An experiential narrative of how the author applied asset-based progressive pedagogical approaches to develop curricular context and help foster creative teaching strategies at a rural public school in the village of Musha, Rwanda over the course of three weeks in June 2013.

Blank Page: A Teacher Begins, John D. Wolfe

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Comprised of seven essays, this collection of literary nonfiction explores one man's journey into the teaching profession. The author recounts his experiences from just before he heard the call, to his first year teaching as an intern at Punahou School in Honolulu, through his first three years teaching full-time, and the challenges, mostly internal conflicts, he worked through as he taught freshmen and then two junior/senior electives before eventually going on sabbatical to Tanzania for his ninth year.

We The People: A Simulation For Young Voters, Jessee Hankins

Honors Projects

This project discusses the evolution of my project from its inception through its completion. As a pre-service teacher in student teaching, my experiences directly influenced the development of this project. The project is one that discusses the use of simulations in a social studies classroom, and includes a lesson plan of the lesson that I used within my student teaching experience. The lesson plan also comes with materials that teachers may take advantage of the lesson plan, using it in their classroom to teach their students about the compromises that were created at the Constitutional Convention.

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Professional Development And The Impact On Elementary Principals Instructional Leadership, Isa Dearmas

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological investigation is to identify and describe professional development components that elementary school principals in the Santa Clarita Valley perceive as having the greatest impact on their instructional leadership related to building teachers’ capacity for improving classroom instruction.

Methodology: To investigate the professional development of elementary school principals in the Santa Clarita Valley and the impact on instructional leadership, the study will follow a phenomenological research design that includes a series of interviews. This research design will focus and describe professional development components and the perspectives of elementary school principals with regard to professional development …

How To Teach Hamlet, Rachel A. Wolfe

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This thesis is a discussion of the history and previous methods of teaching Hamlet followed by a unit plan and lesson plans that are grounded in a more modern understanding of how to teach dramatic literature.

Lev Vygotsky Speaks: Early Childhood Curricula, Dakota L. Gagliardi

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Early childhood curricula have become a major source of conversation in recent decades. The desire for growth and reform in the education field has contributed to changing tides in the classroom, leading to more child-centered approaches that are believed critical in the acquisition of holistic development. Two such curricula that have received recent attention are Reggio Emilia and Tools of the Mind, both of which stem from the foundational beliefs of Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky. It is the aim of this paper to analyze both Reggio Emilia and Tools of the Mind in terms of how they compare to Vygotsky’s …

Today's Classroom Is Changing. The Living Classroom Concept, Alicia Springer

Master of Education in Instructional Design and Technology Plan II Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project is to research, develop, deliver and evaluate a continuing education unit based on the concept of the living classroom. The unit was designed for Education Managers and other industry experts to present to Architects and Designers (A&D) who are associated with the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

The trainees were both educated in the role of student and instructor. The overall project goal was to educate those associated with the educational industry and educate them about the learning revolution that is transforming the way we teach and learn …

Interventions To Improve Student Achievement In Mathematics For Middle School Students With Autism, Sherria L. Burney

Specialist in Education Degree (Ed.S.) Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of using Concrete-Representational-Abstract (CRA) teaching sequence and explicit instruction to improve student achievement in mathematics in middle school aged students with autism and moderate intellectual disabilities. The effects of the CRA teaching sequence and explicit instruction were examined using a Multiple Baseline Design. Although the results in the curriculum-based measurements were inconsistent, all participants showed an increase in the pre-test and post-test scores.

Exploring Graduate Student Parent Experiences: How To Better Support And Reduce Attrition In An Underserved Population, Christine R. Leaman

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Changes in the global economy, employer expectations, and cultural norms are causing a shift in the demographics of post-baccalaureate students. Out of necessity to support oneself in an increasingly demanding job market, female graduate student enrollment has been on the rise for a number of years. This, in combination with a general increase in the number of individuals enrolling in graduate degree programs while trying to balance the responsibility of raising children presents a growing problem for institutions of higher education. Graduate student parents are a population that requires additional and varying support services than those of the traditional graduate …

Emergency Cardiac Care In Athletic Training Education, Erica M. Filep

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

In the field of athletic training, preventing sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) has become a vital component of undergraduate athletic training students’ education. Specifically, SCA is the “leading cause of death in young athletes due to a structural cardiac abnormality” (Casa et. al, 2012, p. 15). Numerous studies about sudden death in athletics have been conducted but there is a gap in educational literature. Teaching students how to respond to catastrophic injury or illness is still an area that needs to be expanded upon. Educational competencies and standards have rapidly evolved with each edition of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) …

Queering Social Justice Curricula Within Higher Education, Kate P. Cabot

Master's Projects and Capstones

Within higher education, social justice education has gained significant ground. While issues of gender, race, and class are increasingly addressed and incorporated into classes there remains a lack in inclusive curricula and pedagogies within colleges and universities when it comes to issues of gender and sexual identity. The social construction of gender and sexualities remains overlooked on the majority of college and university campuses, as well as the discrimination faced by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA) students unaddressed within curricula. The representation of the LGBTQIA community can be attended to within classrooms, campuses, and curriculums in …

Curriculum Redesign: The Use Of Learning Design Principles, Jaclyn Kinsey

Master of Education in Instructional Design and Technology Plan II Graduate Projects

The Ohio Attorney General’s Center for the Future of Forensic Science at Bowling Green State University sought an opportunity to redesign the training curriculum for their researchers and scientists. The first training program to be developed was intended to be a 20-minute, individual e-learning experience, designed to be completed through a web browser. The overall goal of this project was to implement key learning design and user experience design principles to create a more engaging, motivating, and interactive form of training.