Education Commons^™

Transplanted Appalachians’ Perspectives Of Culturally Relevant Topics/Texts And How These Topics/Texts Aid In Their Reading Comprehension, Kathryn E. H. Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Curriculum and Instruction

The purpose of this research study was to understand Transplanted Appalachians’ perspectives of culturally relevant topics/texts and how these topics/texts aid in their reading comprehension. This culturally relevant study was framed using Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory, Barton and Hamilton’s (1998) literacy as a social practice, and Rosenblatt’s (1994) transactional theory. Research participants included five transplanted Appalachian adults from the Central Appalachian Region. The research methods included one introductory interview, four think-alouds, four post think-aloud interviews, and four Cultural Relevance Rubrics. Results from the data sources revealed the participants strongly related to six cultural themes including: community, authentic Appalachian experiences (e.g., …

Gamification: Game-Based Learning / Serious Games And 21st Century Soft Skill Development In Nursing Education, Stephanie Marie Adams

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the development of 21st century skills through gamification, game-based learning (GBL), and serious games in nursing education in institutions of higher education in the United States. This paper reviews the history of gamification in nursing pedagogy through three domains of research. It includes an overview of research related to the development and implementation of gamification, GBL, and serious games in nursing education as well as the impact on the development of 21st century skills in digital natives. The focus was on the historical literature related to gamification, GBL, and serious games at institutions of higher education in …

Exploring Different Mediums For Teaching Programming And Cybersecurity In Primary And Secondary Schools, Andrew R. Youngstrom

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Cybersecurity and programming are becoming more and more prominent in today’s world. It is beneficial to begin teaching these topics to students at a younger age. Additionally, we see students in primary and secondary schools struggling to maintain focus in class as attention spans shrink. This paper looks at different drone models to see if any of them could be sufficient solutions to be implemented into primary and secondary schools to teach cybersecurity and programming topics to students. Besides teaching capabilities, drones must also be affordable for institutions and simple enough to construct, configure, and operate so that a teacher …

Supporting The Covid Freshmen: An Exploratory Study Of The Teaching Aspects That Supported The Executive Functioning Of Undergraduate Freshmen During Covid-19, Jennifer Lynn Pusateri

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Transitioning from high school to higher education is one of the most stressful times in a person’s life. But, for the undergraduate students who were freshmen during the fall of 2020 (in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic), this predictable stress was compounded by additional stressors related to the pandemic. While there were undoubtedly many teaching factors that made learning more difficult during the pandemic, there were also many aspects of teaching that these freshmen found helpful. This exploratory study of secondary data sought to discover which aspects of teaching were most helpful to the COVID Freshmen (the students who …

Schumaker Acres Equine Assisted Learning Curriculum: Building Social Emotional Learning Skills For Autistic Individuals, Sara M. Trent

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Autistic students often receive educational services supporting the development of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) skills. SEL can also be taught effectively outside of the classroom through the use of animal assisted interventions. The purpose of this project was to develop an eight week SEL program utilizing Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) for Autistic individuals five to 21 years old. This curriculum offers a unique programming plan as it provides an SEL curriculum that is specifically designed for Autistic individuals.

Teacher Perceptions Of The Implementation Of Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports (Swpbis) In A Rural Southwest Georgia School District, Angela E. Bell

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined teacher perspectives of SWPBIS and how those perceptions impacted school discipline in a rural, Title I middle school located in southwest Georgia. This paper reviewed the history of school discipline policies and discipline practices. The focus was on teacher perceptions of SWPBIS and how those perceptions impacted school discipline in a rural, Title I middle school in a southwest Georgia county. Results were obtained using a quantitative survey and focus groups. Overall, the findings discovered that all respondents believed that SWPBIS had helpful benefits.

Understanding And Advancing College Students' Mathematical Reasoning Using Collaborative Argumentation, Rachel Kay Heili

MSU Graduate Theses

This study explored students’ mathematical reasoning skills and offered supports to advance them through a collaborative argumentation framework in a college intermediate algebra class. The goals of this study were to make observations about student reasoning, identify specific actions to address those observations, and document student growth in reasoning as a result of those actions. An iterative analysis, mixed method study was conducted in which the researcher engaged students in responding to questions that required conceptual understandings using a collaborative argumentation framework as a tool to identify and code components of their responses—claim, evidence, and reasoning. After coding and analyzing …

Creating The Pause: A Theoretical Approach To Helping Students Achieve Creative Independence, Amanda J. Anderson

MSU Graduate Theses

This paper will detail how the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic revealed the need for a modification of our current educational best practices. This modification asks that teachers create an intentional Pause where students can spend time dwelling on content and making their own meaning before teachers intervene through scaffolding and front loading. It uses a combination of personal experience, review of best practices, and Covid-19 data to show that best practices did not transfer well during the pandemic. It will then provide evidence for the addition of the Pause as well as addressing anticipated counterarguments.

Examining Attitudinal Shifts Regarding Stem Education In Primary School Students With The Addition Of Game Based Assignments, Hayden Stricklin

MSU Graduate Theses

There are an estimated 3 to 4 million open job positions in STEM fields (Ball, Huang, Cotten, & Rikard, 2018; Chen, 2013), lacking qualified individuals to fill them. Graduation rates for undergraduate degrees in STEM fields average just over 430,000 degrees per academic year (National Center for Education Statistics, 2023), leaving an approximate 2.5 million positions unfilled. This lack of workers and qualified individuals is a concern for the scientific community because a lack of degrees obtained results in a lack of scientists in the field and therefore less opportunity for advancement. To address this issue, the researcher proposes a …

Collaborative Lesson Study: A Qualitative Case Study Of Elementary Teachers’ Professional Learning Experience, Arlene D. Harmon

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher collaboration practices in schools have impacted how teachers work together to prevent professional isolation. The mandate of collaborative practices has resulted in some teachers expressing frustration and a lack of benefit from their current experiences. The purpose of this qualitative case study, conducted in the Southeast region of the United States, was to determine if lesson study provided a more meaningful collaborative approach during focused group sessions. Using New London Group’s (1996) designs of meaning concept encapsulated in the Pedagogy of Multiliteracies Theoretical Framework to gauge the relevance of lesson study, I sought to explore a deeper understanding of …

Art-Based Social And Emotional Learning Curriculum In The K-6 Classroom: A Mixed Methods Study, Michelle Fegeley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Preparing elementary school students to succeed in a learning environment that was significantly transformed by a global pandemic will require a major investment in new curricula that focuses more on social and emotional learning and less on standards that primarily emphasize just knowing and doing. This research investigates how the implementation of social emotional learning and SEL-based art activities in the art classroom can help to lower student stress levels in the elementary school art classroom. By providing learners with an opportunity to grow socially and emotionally, teachers may help students understand their feelings and use artmaking as a way …

Examining Teachers’ Experiences With Mindfulness Practices To Promote Positive Relationships And Student Engagement In The Classroom, Hiram Ortega

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years mindfulness practices in the classroom have become increasingly relevant to bring awareness to the present moment, the here-and-now. The literature indicates that mindfulness reduces stress/anxiety in the classroom, and promotes self-regulation, cognitive flexibility, self-compassion, and empathy that contributes to positive classroom behavior, communication, and effective instructional practices. The purpose of this qualitative research is to analyze teachers’ experiences with mindfulness practices in promoting positive relationships and student engagement in the classroom. A group of teachers from an at-risk school district in the southwestern region of the United States were interviewed. The teachers answered 10 open-ended questions about …

Evaluation Of The Impact Of Professional Development On Communication On District And School Leaders, Paul Curtis

Theses and Dissertations

This program evaluation study used an objectives-oriented evaluation to determine the impact of professional development on effective communication to enhance leadership skills of school and district leaders in a southwestern Florida school district. Professional development is offered by the district to teachers, school leaders, district leaders, and staff members. Effective communication is the key to facilitating an impactful professional development training.

Participants were 27 teachers, administrators, and support staff in the district who completed a survey and an interview. Results showed the professional development increased communication and collaboration between and within schools in the district. School leaders showed more engagement, …

The Perceived Results Of Feedback And Evaluation Of Teaching Effectiveness On Adjunct Faculty Professional Development And Growth, Luda V. Vine

Dissertations

Problem

While full-time faculty at any institution of higher learning undergo an established system of evaluation of teaching effectiveness, adjunct faculty members' experience varies greatly from institution to institution. There is little in the relevant academic literature about an effective feedback mechanism for evaluating teaching effectiveness among adjunct faculty members. Limited qualitative research has been done to understand the effects of teaching evaluations on the professional development and growth of individual adjunct faculty members. Developing an understanding of effective evaluation of teaching that will result in improved adjunct faculty professional development and growth will impact not only the faculty members' …

The Impact Of A Series Of Professional Development Sessions On Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (Crp) On The Awareness Level Of Seven Teachers At A Suburban High School, Charity Jo Brady

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aimed to examine the impact that culturally responsive pedagogy had on a suburban high school. Specifically, it focused on the effectiveness of a six-session professional development series in increasing the awareness level of seven teacher-participants at Bayside High School during the Spring 2022 semester. The study utilized pre- and post- questionnaires, weekly journal reflections (written), field notes and observations, and participant interviews for data collection. The findings suggest that the professional development sessions were successful in increasing the awareness level of the teachers, leading to a more culturally responsive classroom environment. This study highlights the importance of ongoing …

The Impact Of Student Learning Pathway Choices During The Covid-19 Pandemic On Academic Achievement, Lauren A. Canfield

Doctor of Education Dissertations

In the fall of 2020, students chose the learning pathway that best suited their situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Learning pathways were face-to-face, virtual synchronous, and virtual asynchronous. Because of this, in the fall of 2021, all students demonstrated learning loss. The learning loss, however, was not congruent among students. This quantitative study sought to determine if a student’s learning pathway choice during the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their academic achievement as measured by grade point average, end-of-course exam scores for Algebra I, and qualification for Tier 2 academic interventions in a multi-tiered system of support. This study was conducted …

Middle School Teacher Perceptions Of The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sherria La Vonne Grubbs

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This paper examines the perceptions of middle school teachers on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on student achievement, attendance and enrollment, mental health, and social and economic factors. Allowing the voices of the middle school teachers to be heard was important to this study because it helped to identify some key themes of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on education. For this qualitative research study, a survey was created with Google Forms and a focus group discussion was implemented using the zoom platform to gather and collect data for this study. 67 middle school teachers were invited to …

Middle Savannah River: An A/R/Tographic Ecopedagogical Ethnography Experimenting With Rhizomatic Perspectives, Lisa Augustine-Chizmar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research is an experiment in perspective. Using the four commonplaces (Schwab, 1978), I practiced letting the Savannah River teach me what there is to know about the water, the land, the people, and the other entities that depend on ki through artistic, ethnographic, and ecopedagogical lenses. The ethnographic findings describe the social actors that depend on ki and give a voice to the River. The a/r/tographic findings display the River on a canvas map through two hundred years using paint, clay, photography, video, abstract acrylics, and fabric. Together, these methods contribute to a unique ecopedagogical journey. This word cloud …

Using The Cipp Model Of Evaluation On A Health Disparities Curriculum Delivered To Medical Residents In 12 Residency Programs, Gauri K. Shevatekar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Although the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has provided educational directives on health disparities education during residency program for the medical residents, there is paucity of curricula focused on disparities education within the graduate medical education.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a Health Disparities Curriculum (HDC) that was delivered to twelve residency programs at a College of Medicine.

Methodology: The study employed a cross-sectional study design. Stufflebeam’s Context-Input-Process-Product (CIPP) model was utilized as theoretical framework to assess whether the curriculum achieved its stated goals and objectives, the teaching and learning processes, and the …

A Paradox Of Fact And Fiction: Cultivating The 'Literary Imagination' Through Quiet Rebellion, Eden A. Evans

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation explores the problems that patterned and processed teaching and learning poses for implementing principles of critical pedagogy in English Literature courses. I apply multiple theoretical frameworks including literary theory, critical theory and post-humanism to place my own experiences amidst the on-going conversations about standardization and democracy. I draw upon the work of educational theorists such as Maxine Greene, Martha Nussbaum, Louise Rosenblatt, and Mary Aswell Doll to explore the ways that literature can enrich students’ lives and society, and Geneva Gay and Lisa Delpit to explore how cultural bias regarding linguistics can function when teaching literature and language …

Testimonios Of Civic Pedagogy: Developing Critical Literacy Skills Using Civics And Holocaust Studies, Tameka Parenti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Civics using Holocaust Studies offer a variety of pedagogical advantages. Regardless of the topic, Holocaust events can be used to build critical analytical skills and cultivate essential literacy skills about the social world. Further, the Holocaust can be used to introduce and grapple with the complex/abstract ideas of the civics content. Given the relationship that social studies has to critical literacy development, civics used in conjunction with Holocaust resources present teacher(s) (educators) with the opportunity to explore (theoretical) concepts foregrounding manifold relationships making up the social world.

This research aimed to examine how secondary students connect to the social world …

Addressing The Problem Of Student Engagement In The Classroom, Levi R. Urias

Culminating Experience Projects

The problem of student engagement is one that is faced by teachers everywhere. While multiple strategies exist for combating this issue, project-based learning and inquiry-based learning are two that stand out in the multitude of research. Additionally, these strategies are ideal in the science classroom as they align very well with the Next Generation Science Standards that are used in Michigan, including rural Southwest Michigan school, Eau Claire High School. This project explores these instructional strategies and their various benefits which include improved critical thinking, improved social skills, and improved questioning skills.

Exploring Using Game-Based Learning And Gamification In A Secondary Classroom To Increase Engagement, Mandee Lynn Thiell

Culminating Experience Projects

Research has connected the importance of student engagement and student experience within the classroom but continue to use teacher directed traditional teaching methods. This project explores the use of gamification and game-based learning and how it promotes student engagement. The use of games and game-elements provide a relevant approach that focuses on student autonomy and experience, and ultimately use fun engaging ways to motivate students to learn. This project provides an entry level learning in-service opportunity for secondary educators to discover and create their own lessons that implement gamification and game-based learning in their classrooms in hopes to increase student …

Cultivating Lifelong Readers: A Study Of How English Teachers Can Bring Pleasure Back Into The Reading Lives Of Students, Kaylie Jo Schertzing

Culminating Experience Projects

Research has revealed that many of today’s students are not reading for pleasure. Although research shows that recreational reading is linked with academic success, educational policies have left reading for pleasure out of focus and instead emphasize a particular type of reading that is assessed on mandated tests. As a result of curriculum reforms, English Language Arts curriculum has been narrowed and left reading for pleasure out of focus. This project explores the history of curriculum reform in the United States as it relates to the teaching of English Language Arts as well as recent research surrounding how recreational reading …

Report Card: Nyc's Student-Powered Newsroom, Julian Roberts-Grmela

Capstones

During my time in the engagement journalism program at CUNY, I aimed to use journalism to serve the community of students in New York City’s public school system. At first, I tried to serve students through my reporting, by aiming to center student perspectives in education-related stories in order to uplift their feedback about the system. But I realized I could do more to report with students, instead of just about them. So, during my final semester, I launched Report Card: NYC’s Student-Powered Newsroom. Report Card is a Substack-based newsletter and a training program for middle-high school aged students …

Developing An Lgbtqia2+ Affirming Curriculum And Testing Its Impact On Allyship, Tausif Karim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Why are some conversations considered more difficult in learning spaces than others? What is the potential for educational interventions strengthen our capacities for such challenging conversations and for allyship? Guided by these broad questions, the present thesis focused on LGBTQIA2+ affirming education and sought to specifically test how an intentionally queer online learning experiences impacted the participants’ self-perceived allyship efficacies.

In my thesis, I draw on literature exploring how the “civility, teacher immediacy, or teacher credibility” (Chen & Lawless, 2018, p. 376) of Western education has prevented instructors from bringing topics related to race, gender, immigration, sexuality, and others in …

The Effect Of Self-Paced Learning On Student Achievement And Motivation Within An Eighth-Grade Mathematics Classroom, Jacy Spencer

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

A large mathematics achievement gap is a concern for researchers and educators alike, making effective teaching practices a main point of study for many researchers. Therefore, this action research, which used a quasi-experimental, quantitative research design, aimed to determine the effect of a self-paced learning environment on eighth-grade students’ mathematical achievement and motivation for learning. Baseline data on student motivation toward learning mathematics and mathematics achievement was collected before implementing a self-paced learning environment. After a mathematics unit was completed utilizing the self-paced learning model, data was collected on student achievement and motivation to determine effect of the learning environment. …

How Well Do Students Perform On A Five-Paragraph Analysis Essay When Writing Digitally Versus Handwritten?, Brittany Coryell

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Technology use in the secondary education setting has been increasing since the early 2000s, but with the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, when students learned remotely, technology use exponentially increased. Many districts provided devices for their students to continue their schoolwork. As we return to the classroom, should assignments remain technology-based or return to handwritten assignments? In this study, the researcher focused on identifying whether handwritten work or typing is more effective when developing a five-paragraph analysis essay in a ninth-grade classroom. Students were given the same curriculum throughout the study, but one group was given the curriculum through worksheets to …

The Impact Of Trauma-Informed Professional Development On Classroom Climate, Amber Lenz

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

When students experience trauma or adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in the home, such as substance abuse, mental illness, neglect, or violence, schools become an important place in which support, kindness, and understanding are needed the most. School can, for some students, be a place of physical safety and emotional stability. Oftentimes, the weight of what is going on at home or in the community is being miscategorized and is seen as misbehavior or laziness in a student. If teachers do not learn how to deal with the trauma in a supportive and validating way, students will stay distracted and disengaged …

The Impact Of Paired-Partner Reading On Star Reading Scores, Brianna Byer

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to determine how effective paired-partner reading is when used in the classroom with curriculum. Within a 7th grade language arts classroom, this reading strategy focuses on student collaboration, reading comprehension, and providing the opportunity to read aloud on a regular basis. Researchers Stahl, Heubach, and Cramond (1997) stated, “Partner reading provides an opportunity for students to read connected text within a socially supportive context. This context should both motivate children to read well and provide a supportive environment to aid the development of reading skill” (p. 13). The overall goal of this study …