Education Commons^™

Classworks As A Means To Gaining Equity In The General Education Math Classroom: Perceptions Of Students Receiving Special Education Services, Diane Marshall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the importance of math steadily increasing, researchers in the field of special education have made efforts to increase the performance of students with disabilities (Fuchs et al., 2008; Gersten, Jordan, & Flojo, 2005). Despite the deficits these students face, the trend has been for many years that most students with disabilities in math receive their instruction in the general education classroom. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions that students receiving special education services have regarding the effectiveness of Classworks, a computer-assisted instructional program, in helping them gain equity in the general education math classroom. Critical …

Are Best Practices In Literacy Culturally Relevant? An Investigation Into What Primary Literacy Teachers Do To Teach Literacy Skills To Minority Students, Tammie Pittsley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine if average primary (K-3) teachers were implementing best practices in literacy with culturally relevant teaching in their classroom practice. The cooperating district is located in southeastern Georgia and is a majority minority district. The school district personnel predominantly consists of White female teachers; however, the student population has become increasingly diverse. As a result, the need to teach literacy skills while incorporating the tenets of culturally relevant teaching is increasingly important. The study consisted of an online survey using the platform Survey Monkey and two focus group interviews. The survey …

Knowledge, Skills, And Dispositions Influencing Middle School Teachers' Decision Making In Planning Social Studies Instruction In A Hispanic Serving School, Angela Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The issue of highly qualified teachers as the key to improving the educational system in the United States has become a primary focus in education. The federal educational policy No Child Left Behind Act 2001, describes what it means to be a highly qualified teacher in core subject areas, and all states are required to use this criterion for defining what teachers should know, and be able to do. Accordingly, certified teachers in today’s public school classrooms must possess the knowledge, skills, and dispositions so that all students, including those students who have been historically disadvantaged and those who are …

Mainstream Teacher Attitudes Toward English Language Learners, Cristina Gonzalez Dekutoski

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to collect and analyze data from practicing mainstream K-12 teachers currently enrolled in graduate courses at a large, urban, Midwest university regarding four categories of their attitudes toward English language learners: (a) inclusion of ELLs, (b) the second language acquisition process/language and language learning, (c) modification of coursework, and (d) ESL professional development. Though studies on teacher attitudes toward ELLs remain sparse, research on this topic is important for two reasons. First, as the rigor of grade level curriculum increases ( i.e. high school graduation requirements, state MEAP testing, NCLB) understanding complexities of ELLs …

Nonfiction Text Usage In The Primary Grades, Shanna Marie Carlson

All Graduate Projects

The past and current role of nonfiction text, also referred to as informational text, in the elementary classroom setting was studied. The educational benefits of nonfiction use was examined and found to have a significant impact on the learning and success of students. Effective uses for nonfiction books were compiled into a handbook for the use of primary teachers.

Rubrics And Revision: What Are The Effects Of 3Rd Graders Using Rubrics To Self-Assess Or Peer-Assess Drafts Of Writing?, Gabriel Cameron Horn

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quasi-experimental research thesis was to determine the effects of rubric-referenced peer-revision and self-assessment on the writing drafts of 3^rd grade students. A convenience sample of students in existing classrooms engaged in two persuasive writing assignments. The first assignment established a baseline score for comparison purposes. During the second assignment, a peer-revision group and self-assessment group received different interventions that focused on revision guided by a rubric. A third control group did not receive an intervention. Student opinions toward the usefulness of the treatments were also gathered through a questionnaire that was delivered after the writing …

Bridging Policy And Education: How Elementary Students Are Impacted By Reform Efforts, Kristen E. Bunn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on how state policies that encourage school reform impact student experience. The paper demonstrates what students in these reformed schools experience and what lessons we can learn from their experiences. In particular, the research focuses on engagement levels and the matching of intentions to student propensities. A goal of the paper is to help bridge the policy and educational worlds by shedding light on what is happening in four school-of-choice classrooms.

A mixed methodology is used; data from an Educational Connoisseurship and Criticism, an engagement measure, and interviews are triangulated. The research was conducted at two school-of-choice …

A Study Of An Attempt To Improve The Reliability Of Teachers' Holistic Scores Of Elementary Writing Through In-House Profess, Lisa Farmer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a school-based training that attempted to improve the reliability of holistic scores teachers assigned to the writings of elementary school students. Seventeen teachers at one suburban elementary school located in the Southeastern United States participated in three training sessions that allowed for scoring practice and group discussions. The trainers, or presenters, were "faculty-experts." A comparison of scores the participants assigned to students' writings before and after the training was conducted. The analyses included t-tests that compared the participants' mean scores to the scores assigned by raters from the state, a within-group analysis of reliability …

An Opportunity Gap: Focusing On The Issue Of Boys’ Underachievement In School Literacy, Whitney Ann Cromwell

All Graduate Projects

Male students statistically have not been as successful as females on standardized test scores or literacy activities. The discrepancy between literacy achievement between boys and girls at the elementary level is cause for concern. This gap between the literacy achievement of girls and boys will continue unless we change the way we teach. "All educators share the common goal of providing equitable learning opportunities for every student in the classroom. Providing equitable opportunities for girls is a familiar topic; providing them for boys is a relatively recent issue, but one that is appearing with increasing urgency on education agendas around …

Improving Reading Acquisition In Elementary Boys, Rachel Ann Stork

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a guide for teachers and parents to improve reading acquisition in elementary-aged boys. The project will summarize current research and a brochure gives practical solutions for education professionals and parents to help increase the interest and acquisition of elementary boys in reading. Current literature and research shows an alarming problem in elementary boys' reading acquisition. This project analyzes best practices, brain research, and parent involvement that lead to improved literacy acquisition in elementary-age boys.

Incorporating Different Number Bases Into The Elementary School Classroom., Crystal Michele Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since becoming an educator and gaining extensive classroom experience, I have concluded that it would be beneficial to elementary school children to learn other number bases and their basic functions and operations. In this thesis, I have developed five units involving lesson plans for incorporating various number bases into the existing curriculum. The units are Decimal (Base 10), Duodecimal (Base 12), Quinary (Base 5), Binary (Base 2), and Octal (Base 8) which are all appropriate for the elementary level.

The Effects Of Looping On Student Achievement And Self-Efficacy Of Exceptional Education Students, Marybeth Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of the current study was to examine the effects of looping on academic achievement and self-efficacy for Exceptional Student Education (ESE) students. The basic design of this study was causal comparative, or ex post facto, because the researcher was seeking to identify a difference in achievement based on developmental scale scores between the two groups of looping and non-looping students with ESE classifications. A retrospective causal comparative study was chosen because the researcher began with a potential cause, looping, and studied the potential effects on achievement and self efficacy. The hypotheses were that the experimental group would outperform …

A Study Of The Impact Of The New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards On The Instructional Practices Of Teachers In Grades 1-4, David H. Dilks

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

A Study Of The Impact Of The New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards On The Instructional Practices Of Teachers In Grades 1-4, David H. Dilks

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

De-Emphasizing Grade-Level Identities: A Case Study Of Mathematics Instruction In An Intermediate Elementary Multiage Classroom, Kevin Oconnor

Dissertations

This is an interpretive study that investigates the nature of the issues, dilemmas, and successes of planning and implementing a mathematics program with minimal reference to grade-level designations in a multiage classroom setting of fourth—and fifth-grade students.

The study focused on how one teacher conceptualized, designed, and structured a mathematics curriculum. An analysis of over 60 hours of interviews conducted over six months revealed a teacher who integrated her knowledge of elementary mathematics with her knowledge and practice of teaching and learning theories, mathematical understanding, curriculum perspectives, and classroom management. This integration is explained through a conceptual framework of the …

A Survey Of Organizational Plans For The Instruction Of Reading With Specific Guidelines For Revision Of The Program At Phantom Lake Elementary, Jack Morgan Mccolaugh

Graduate Student Research Papers

The purpose of this study is to review the past and present reading programs at Phantom Lake Elementary School, Bellevue, Washington, and to recommend guidelines by which the existing program can be improved. These guidelines will be based on a review of the literature.

Motivating A Fifth And Sixth Grade Classroom Interest By Teaching Science Units At The Center Of The Curriculum, Theodore R. Reich

All Master's Theses

The problem was to set up a classroom situation in which fifth and sixth grade students were able to use the study of magnetism, electricity, and electronics in such a way that interest and motivation toward regular curricular studies could be stimulated. The following devices were chosen to evaluate the experiment: (1) interest and motivational questionnaires, (2) a science completion test, (3) The Iowa Basic Skills Test, and (4) the behavior journal.