Education Commons^™

Christian Approach To Secondary Classroom Management, Alysia A. Haveman

Master of Education Program Theses

Teachers at all levels of experience and education find that classroom management is one of the most difficult aspects of the job. This seems especially true for teachers in the secondary classroom where the student’s physical and psychological development seems to be mismatched, and where an attitude of student disillusionment prevails. Since all educators manage their classrooms with some sort of belief system motivating their actions and decisions, it is important for the Christian classroom teacher to closely examine the belief systems which influence current classroom management theories to determine if these belief systems are congruent with a Biblical view …

The Effects Of Teaching The Academic Language Of Language Arts To Secondary Long-Term English Learners, Mary Soto

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

While the majority of English language learners are found in elementary schools, an alarming number of these students are entering secondary schools. These secondary students are long-term English learners, students who have been in U.S. schools for seven years or longer. Long-term English learners struggle with academic success, and educators need to find ways to support them. In this qualitative study, the effects of teaching academic vocabulary and concepts to 10th grade Hispanic long-term English learners in a language arts class at a large, South Texas high school were explored. The researcher observed students as they were involved in five …

The Use Of Picture Books In The High School Classroom: A Qualitative Case Study, Melissa Reiker

Master of Liberal Studies Theses

Picture books (stories in which the both the text and illustrations contribute to meaning) have long been thought of as appropriate only at primary grade levels because of their short length, simple plots, and minimal number of characters. When used at the secondary level, their principal function has been as remediation for struggling readers or English language learners (ELLs). However, anecdotal evidence and an exhaustive literature review strongly suggest that the supplemental use of picture books increases engagement and learning among high school students at all instructional levels. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of picture …

Understanding Multiple Perspectives Of African American Males In A Suburban High School, Ravi Hansra Matrenec

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Research on African American males in high school often looks at their experiences from a deficit perspective, and is often conducted in low resourced, high-risk settings, thus perpetuating the image of failure in school. We know less about how African American males experience education in well-resourced schools. In an attempt to fill this research gap, this qualitative inquiry study explores the schooling experiences of African American males at a predominantly White, affluent, and suburban high school of a major metropolitan city. The focus of this study was to understand how the participants made sense of their schooling experiences, paying special …

Exploring Brain-Based Instructional Practices In Secondary Education Classes, Constance Darcy Jack

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Research on how the brain perceives, processes, stores, and retrieves information is important to guide pedagogy, yet many schools continue to promote practices that are inconsistent with practices suggested by brain research. Brain-based teaching practices promote a more holistic approach to teaching that acknowledges the interconnectedness of the brain and how it naturally learns.

In order to explore brain-based teaching practices, this study focused on a high school (grades 9-12) in southwestern Idaho to determine whether teachers’ perceptions of their use of brain-based teaching strategies are consistent with the strategies they demonstrate in the classroom. Data included two original instruments: …

Making Waves With Critical Literacy, Carolyn Fortuna

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

A qualitative study undertaken in 2007 that explores the application of critical literacy pedagogy within English language arts classes of an upper middle class public high school. Results demonstrate that when students recontextualize their own modalities, literacies, and cultures as part of their learning experience, they begin to understand the concept of social justice for all.

Exploring Some Inattended Affective Factors In Performing Nonroutine Mathematical Tasks, John Douglas Butler

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

Describes students' attempts to solve nonroutine math problems and explores possible correlates of their performance, focusing on inattended (i.e., intentionally avoided) dimensions underrepresented in the literature, including attitudes, interests, values, aesthetics, metacognition, and representation. Analyzes objective and subjective data gathered from a sample of 9th-grade students at a high school in Rhode Island. Finds strong evidence of students' math-aesthetics in problem solving.

So Tell Me, What's Different But The Skin I'M In? Seven Adolescent Black Girls Making Sense Of Their Experiences In An Online School Book Club Featuring African American Young Adult Literature, Benita Rutonya Dillard

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Believing the claim made by Black feminist research and scholarship that Black women writers and Black female social networks were safe spaces for Black females to come to voice, this qualitative multiple case study examined how seven adolescent Black females enrolled in a public virtual charter high school positioned themselves as they responded to contemporary realistic young adult fiction written by African American female authors in an online single-gendered book club. This study captured participants as some interacted in Tuesday's group and the others in the Thursday's group. Interpretivist methods are used to specifically examine the ways in which the …

Model For Teaching Musical Discernment In The Christian Secondary School, Zachary J. Vreeman

Master of Education Program Theses

Recent technological advances in recording and reproducing music have greatly changed the way that members of this culture interact with music. With an ever-expanding wealth of recordings, students in Christian secondary schools are faced with an increasing number of musical choices and must be equipped to discern musical activity in a God-glorifying way. This study researches the factors influencing students' musical attitudes over which schools have the most control, describes a biblically-based Christian attitude towards music, and finally proposes a model based on that research for teaching musical discernment from a distinctly Christian standpoint. The proposed model includes the establishment …

A Qualitative Study Of The Epistemological Interplay Between Teachers And Students In A High Stakes Testing Environment, Donald Bruce Bierman

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

Employing grounded theory methodology informed by microethnographic discourse analysis, studies the classroom conversations, interviews with students and teachers, and students' written texts in a high stakes test preparation program for tenth graders to determine the effects students and teachers have upon one another's epistemological beliefs concerning the source of knowledge. Students were preparing for the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT).

A Phenomenological Study Of The Perceptions And Experiences Of Seven Urban Middle School Science Teachers Related To Retention, Lu Dunn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Job satisfaction is essential to retain teachers in classrooms. Increased challenges in today s classrooms discourage many teachers from reaching veteran status. Teachers with a perception that they are making a difference appear to have more resilience in the difficult times in their classrooms. Purpose: To investigate the experiences of middle school science teachers. This study explored the influence of perceptions, beliefs, and experiences on job attrition and teacher satisfaction; and helps explain the cumulative effects that contributed to teachers' dissatisfaction. This study analyzed the intensification of the teaching profession and the increased emotional stress this causes for teachers. …

Encouraging Reflective Thinking In The High School Classroom: Effective Use Of Questioning And Wait Time Strategies, Jolyn M. Van Es

Master of Education Program Theses

Effective questioning techniques and the use of effective wait time can create a learning environment where all students are encouraged to process information and feel comfortable sharing their opinion. The root of reflective thinking lies in asking good questions and knowing how to ask them and when to ask them. Good questions create classroom interaction which has been found to promote student achievement. However, in our fast-paced classrooms, teachers tend to dominate discussions and often answer their own questions. This is where the effective use of wait time can be so crucial in establishing an atmosphere of inquiry – not …

A Focus Group Of Adolescent Haitian Immigrants: Factors Affecting Their Perceptions Of Academic Success In A Florida Public High School, Mercedes Pichard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this ethnographic research was to examine the perceptions of academic success of adolescent Haitian immigrant students who have arrived in the United States within the last five years and attend a public high school in Florida. The Haitian students were asked to explain the tensions they perceive between Haitian societal and educational norms and beliefs and American ones, and explain their perceptions and concerns regarding success. The importance of their perceptions as influences on their behavior was related to Bandura's Social Cognitive Learning Theory. The relevance of certain questions concerning academic success for Haitian students was investigated …

Relationship Between Traditional Grammar Terminology And Metacognitive Application Of Grammar Concepts, Annalisa M. Buerke

Master of Education Program Theses

This literature review revisits the debate of whether grammar instruction can improve adherence to written English conventions. However, the paper focuses on the role of traditional definitions rather than on delivery methods. Two questions guide this paper: I. Do traditional terms and definitions hinder students' understanding of grammar concepts? 2. How can teachers define grammar terms in a clearer, more accurate manner? The paper uses prominent grammarians such as C. Weaver, R. Noguchi and M. Kolin and provides a history of methodology, noting researchers' observations of traditional terms and definitions. The paper concludes that secondary teachers can supplement traditional definitions …

Relationships Among Classroom Technology Utilization, Professional Development, And Knowledge About Technology For Secondary Teachers, Stacy L. King

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of technology professional development for secondary teachers toward the usage of that technology in the classroom to assist with the teaching/learning process. This research also examined the effects of knowledge about technology for secondary teachers on the utilization of technology in the classroom. Data were gathered from the Technology Proficiency Self Assessment Instrument issued by the Louisiana State Department of Education. The target population consisted of secondary school teachers in Louisiana from 202 secondary schools in twenty-eight parishes. From the 202 secondary schools in Louisiana, a sample of teachers (n …

Secondary School Choral Curriculum Based On The Wisconsin Comprehensive Musicianship Through Performance Project, David P. Van Brugge

Master of Education Program Theses

This thesis is a two-part paper dealing with the concept of comprehensive musicianship for an elective high school choral course in a small Christian school. Part I surveys relevant literature, considers the background of comprehensive musicianship and research related to it, and defines the Wisconsin Comprehensive Musicianship Project (WCMP). Part II applies the Wisconsin Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance model by outlining a curriculum for a choral music course in a small Christian secondary school.

Attitudes Towards Educational Innovations In Christian High Schools In Northwest Iowa And Southeast South Dakota, Kimberly A. Hengeveld

Master of Education Program Theses

This study examines the attitudes of Christian high school educators in Northwest Iowa and Southwest South Dakota toward educational innovation and change in secondary education. Faculty and administration rated ten innovations or practices for their value to Christian school secondary systems, their perceptions about which factors and individuals are influential in the decision-making process about affecting change in the secondary school system, and their personal response to change in the classroom. The results indicate that these educators believe that change is important, but they are less supportive of change that might disrupt the way that schools are currently organized. Respondents …

Assessing A Media Discernment Course For Freshmen At Illiana Christian High School: A Case Study, William Boerman-Cornell

Master of Education Program Theses

This case study examines the effectiveness of a team-taught mass-media freshman level course on discernment of media messages, and decision-making. By means of pre- and post- course surveys of students and faculty, this study examines students' decisions about consuming mass media and how after taking the course, their media selection process became more complex, deliberate, and organized. It also examines faculty response to the course in terms of how it appears to affect the students and how it affects faculty teaching and learning.

Fulfilling The Mission Statement Through Senior Projects, Steve Kortenhoeven

Master of Education Program Theses

This descriptive study researched the benefits of Senior Projects as a culminating activity during the senior year of high school. The anecdotal evidence shows that Senior Projects help keep students motivated and interested during the final semester of their high school years. More importantly, this paper focused on the impact that a Senior Project program has at fulfilling a school's mission statement. Eighty-six students at Calvin Christian School in Escondido, California were surveyed regarding the school's mission statement; a high percentage felt that the mission statement was being fulfilled via extra-curricular activities (i.e., chapel, spiritual emphasis week) while a considerably …

Perceptions Of Principals As To The Degree Of Implementation And Effect Of The Middle School Concept In Louisiana, Susan Nelson Shofner

Doctoral Dissertations

Turning Points: Preparing American Youth for the 21st Century (Carnegie, 1989) contained recommendations for improving middle level education. These recommendations included: (a) creating small communities for learning, (b) teaching a common knowledge core, (c) ensuring success for all students, (d) empowering teachers and administrators, (e) preparing teachers in middle grades, (f) improving academic performance through health and fitness, (g) re-engaging families in the education of adolescents, and (h) connecting schools with communities.

The objectives of this study were to determine, according to middle school principals, the extent to which the Carnegie recommendations have been implemented in the public schools of …

Developing A Model Career Pathway Curriculum For South Kitsap School District, Esther L. Albertus

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a model Career Pathway Curriculum for South Kitsap School District. To achieve this purpose, current research and an examination of literature and evaluation of current models in place were considered and reviewed. Additionally, recommendations and specific policies were adapted and developed to meet the needs of the South Kitsap School District community.

Teaching Video Production In The Secondary Art Classroom: An Educational Travel Log, William Lee Daggett

All Graduate Projects

This project is intended to serve as a model and resource for secondary teachers seeking to incorporate video production into their curriculum. A central premise of the project is that video production can serve as a valuable learning tool when it is part of an integrated, project based instructional program. The sample model used here is an educational travel log. A secondary art students' trip to Europe was undertaken. The various steps in how the trip was set up and how the curriculum was organized is the focus of the project. Students' roles, responsibilities, and activities are described, along with …

Leadership Curriculum For The High School Student, Ruth Elaine Miller

All Graduate Projects

The need for a high school leadership curriculum for a small rural school district was studied. The review of literature showed that students should be provided the opportunity to learn leadership skills that focus on the individual, family, school and community. By working with peers and adults, leadership students will have the opportunity to work in real-life situations which address service-learning, character education, and school-to-work in aligmnent with the national and state standards.

High School Block Scheduling As A Stimulus: A Multiple-Site Case Study, William H. Phelps

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the processes that have been used for implementing the alternative scheduling plan of block scheduling in high schools. The study attempted to discover what professional development activities were used for the change, if teachers altered instruction, and what additional staff development was needed. The qualitative method of case study research was selected for the study. The investigator chose five public high schools, representing city and county systems and different professional development budgets and types of instructional support. Central office administrators who were responsible for the implementation of block scheduling, principals, and a …

Block Scheduling: From Possibility To Reality?, Frederic M. Muse

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines teacher practices and student learning as perceived by teachers within public high schools that have implemented block scheduling. Comparisons are made between the possibilities advanced by block scheduling advocates and the actual results as interpreted from the data gathered. Comparisons are made between teaching and learning with the traditional schedule and the manner in which it takes place with block scheduling. Open-ended questionnaires were developed for use with voluntary participants who had worked with traditional scheduling and now taught with some form of block scheduling. Participants recorded observations based solely upon personal perceptions of experiences with students …

The Relationship Of Experience, Education, And Tennessee Career Ladder Status To Teachers' Perceptions Of Staff Development Needs In Block Scheduled Programs, Rita S. Mullins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem related to this study was to develop a clearer understanding of the staff development needs of high school classroom teachers implementing block scheduled programs. The purpose of this study was to determine if teachers' perceptions of staff development needs differed when teaching experience, education (highest degree earned), and Tennessee Career Ladder status were considered. Four levels of each independent variable were analyzed by six categories of perceptions, the dependent variables. The categories were: (a) Planning, (b) Knowledge, (c) Satisfaction with staff development, (d) Adult learning strategies, (e) Level of involvement, and (f) Impact on student testing and grades. …

Stages Of Implementation Of Block Scheduling: Perceptions Of School Climate In High Schools In The First Tennessee Regional District, Chele L. Dugger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A descriptive study was conducted to identify teachers' and principals' perceptions of school climate in four stages of a change to block scheduling: Initiation, the first year of Implementation, the second year of Implementation, and the third year of Implementation or Institutionalization. Data were collected from 442 teachers and principals in nine high schools in the First Tennessee Regional District in a stratified purposeful random sample using the Organizational Health Index (OHI), a 44-item survey, and a demographic information sheet. The survey has seven dimensions: Institutional Integrity, Initiating Structure, Consideration, Principal Influence, Resource Support, Morale, and Academic Support. These dimensions …

A Secondary Education Model Of An Applied Learning Health Occupations Program, Andrea Lee Chapman

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop an applied learning health occupations program model that encompassed interagency collaboration and partnership. The formal partnership in this project was established with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department and the Bethel School District. Initially the model was designed for implementation in the Bethel School District and eventually other school districts in the State of Washington. To accomplish this purpose, a review of current literature regarding the future workforce, applied learning and partnerships between schools, business and the community was conducted and related materials from inservice programs and conferences was reviewed and assessed.

A Comparative Study Of Student Directed Dialogue Journal Writing And Teacher Directed Dialogue Journal Writing, Yolanda Paez Bailey

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to compare student directed dialogue journal writing with teacher directed dialogue journal writing. Eleven students in the student directed group wrote about self-generated topics while 12 students in the teacher directed group wrote on topics selected by the teacher. Data were analyzed in the areas of amount of writing generated, types of language functions, topics and the ability to stay on topic, level of technical improvement, types of questions posed by students and teacher, and attitudes towards writing. The results revealed that both student directed dialogue journal writing and teacher directed dialogue journal writing …

Is There A Way To Teach Terminology In The Biological Science?, Kenneth Eugene Bongers

Graduate Student Research Papers

The present :national emphasis on the teaching of Biological Science in High School has brought about many inquiries relative to teaching terminology in a meaningful way. Every biology teacher is faced with the problem of how to communicate the meaning of terms every biology book assumes the students already know.