Education Commons^™

A Mixed Method Comparison: Instruction In Undergraduate Beginning, Intermediate, And Advanced Contemporary Dance Classes, Aditi Bheda

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study aimed to identify the nature of instructional differences between beginning, intermediate and advanced contemporary dance classes. The study involved interviewing two dance instructors and observing their classes, as well as conducting focus group discussions to gain insight from students. Despite difficulties in comparing across three levels given that no single instructor was observed teaching all three levels, the mixed method comparison yielded some common themes at each dance level. Given that students at higher levels were more aware of and comfortable with their bodies, instructors moved through the class at a quicker pace. Students at each level were …

Academic Dishonesty: The Ghost Of Papers Past, Wayne T. Whitmore

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This research project examined student’s acts of academic dishonesty and their beliefs regarding whether acts of academic dishonesty were acceptable through survey research conducted online at a two-year college and a four-year university in the Minnesota State (MinnState) system in southern Minnesota. This research aimed to build on existing research related to academic dishonesty in higher education. The sample included 195 students enrolled at a two-year comprehensive college and a four-year state university. Outcomes indicated a majority of students engaged in acts of academic dishonesty. Second, outcomes indicated men are more likely to engage in academic dishonesty than women. Third, …

Education Based On Graduate Marginalized Perspective, Bryanna Edwards

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The United States Education system has received many budget cuts throughout the years. Sixty-six percent of Americans believe that the United States Education system needs major changes or to be rebuilt (Pew Research, 2013). There has been much debate regarding the first step toward reform. To begin to answer this question this research investigated some of the most restrictive educational spaces.

The most available and beneficial first steps to reform lie in the minds and practices within the educational institution. This research could lead to cultivating more inclusive policies and practices, to serve an increasingly diverse student population. Although disciplines …

The Application Of Interpersonal Concepts To Reframe Instructor Misbehaviors, Jonathan A. Mendoza

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The research literature surrounding instructor misbehaviors has been largely influenced by two typologies of misbehaviors. Kearney et al. (1991) introduced the first typology of instructor misbehaviors, which included incompetence, offensiveness, and indolence. Goodboy and Myers (2015) later revisited this initial typology, finding additional misbehaviors that reflected changes in the classroom climate, including antagonism and misbehaviors enacted during lectures. Much of the research on instructor misbehaviors utilizes these typologies, using a framework of interpersonal theories as a means of understanding instructor misbehaviors. In my review of the literature, common theories applied included expectancy violations theory, communication privacy management theory, and attribution …

The Ability Of Dibels To Predict Proficiency On The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment And The Wida Access For Ells, Katherine Schultz

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Recent educational reform gave birth to accountability testing and development of student sub-groups meant to track gaps in achievement. Because of the high-stakes nature of these assessments, educators have sought efficient progress monitoring tools. Oral reading fluency’s link to overall reading success has made it a desirable means of measuring growth. This link is well researched with native English speakers but less researched with English learners. This research seeks to determine if the commercially-produced oral reading fluency suite of assessments, DIBELS, can predict reading success on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) in English learners to the same degree as with …

The Lived Experiences Of Black Male High School Students Diagnosed With Emotional Or Behavioral Disorders: A Qualitative Study On Self-Concept, James Menke

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of how the lived experiences of four Black male high school students in a setting-four program diagnosed with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) impact their self-concept. Through a multi-case study method, participants engaged in two interviews responding to questions in reference to lived experiences and self-concept. Critical Race Theory tenets counter-storytelling and intersectionality were applied to further and more deeply analyze the content from the interviews. A cross-case analysis of four cases produced overarching themes: I was treated inhumanely; I benefit from invested staff who build individualized connections with me; …

Do They Make A Difference? Twin Cities Magnet Schools In The Heart Of Metropolitan Inequity And Segregation, Scott A. Thomas

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Magnet schools have served as one of the most important and widely-used desegregation tools throughout the United States. Each district, region, and state have varying degrees of implementation, policies, and goals for such schools; however, robust evidence of their effectiveness is needed. This study examines a single school district in Minnesota that uses magnet schools to meet a state desegregation order where five elementary magnet schools and five control schools were identified to understand the impact the magnet “treatment” has on achievement for students of color, English learners, and students receiving special education services. This multivariate comparative study uses the …

Relationship Between Student Hope And Academic Achievement, Deanna S. Fosness

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Educational research is ubiquitous; however, agreement on best practices is not. Although parents, teachers, students, and communities have a vested interest in students' success, varying practices of what is taught, how it is taught, and to whom it is taught are still debated.

This study expands upon work done by Dr. Scott Wurdinger and Dr. Ron Newell in which their research shows that student hope and NWEA math and reading scores appear to be correlated. To expand upon those results, demographic information was used to see if a difference exists amongst dichotomized groups. The results indicate that the difference in …

Accelerated Growth: A Case Study Of Teacher Beliefs And Instructional Strategies That Promote Achievement For Students Of Color, Astein K. Osei

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study examined the beliefs and instructional strategies that promote accelerated achievement for students of color in a suburban Minneapolis district. The research aimed to identify the beliefs and instructional strategies that lead to traditionally marginalized populations of students in grades 2-5 demonstrating growth on the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment. The study affirmed that teacher beliefs and instructional practices matter when attempting to create academic growth for traditionally marginalized groups of students. During the study several themes surfaced in relationship to the importance of educator beliefs and instructional practices.

Understanding How Experienced World History Teachers In Minnesota Choose Course Content: A Mixed Methods Study, Kathleen Ferrero

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Education in the United States has consistently utilized tests as well as a relatively standard curriculum to educate the youth. However, the introduction of the No Child Left Behind Act and the subsequent implementation of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, has created an educational environment focused largely on math and literacy skills. This mixed methods study discovered the primary factors experienced world history teachers in Minnesota utilize to balance historical thinking skills and the inclusion of current events against national and statewide curricular standards. Five experienced teachers were interviewed, and their responses coded using qualitative methods. These themes informed …

The Impact Of Cultural Competency On The School Improvement Process: A Phenomenological Study, Michelle Dekam Palmieri

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Schools have undergone a multitude of reform in recent decades, most based on American educational accountability structures and policies. School improvement efforts have taken on a variety of forms. Despite the intensified pressure for improvement, there has not been an increase in our nation’s student achievement. In fact, racial inequities in academic performance continue to grow. As the students in our public educational systems continue to become racially, culturally and linguistically more diverse, educators need support and training to become culturally competent and racially conscious. Developing cultural competency is not a quick nor simple feat, yet there are countless research-based …

Alignment Or Detachment: College Educators’ Perceptions Of Experiential Learning Pedagogy, Wayne D. Finseth

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The main purpose of this study was to investigate how college educators’ perceptions of experiential learning influence the design, implementation, and assessment of their courses. A second purpose of this study was to examine the way’s college educators use experiential learning in their classes. A final purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between a college educators’ prior experience with experiential learning and how they utilize that prior experiences to design, instruct, and assess their courses. A descriptive research design was used in this study. A randomized and anonymous survey containing 29 items was emailed out through Qualtrics …

Taking A Walk On The Wild Side: Case Studies Of Programs That Integrate K-12 Curricula With Adventure Sports And Outdoor Learning, Jonathan Trzepkowski

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In the United States there are a number of schools that utilize outdoor learning and adventure sports as part of their educational approach. The purpose of this case study was to analyze several programs that utilize adventure sports and outdoor learning in their curriculum and then present their distinguishing features in case study form. This case study selected 16 schools/programs that used adventure education or outdoor learning and created a profile for each one using a set of common guiding questions. This paper offers an interpretation of the findings that goes beyond the 16 profiles by synthesizing common components of …

Effects Of Aromatherapy On Academic Success, Perceived Stress, And Coping Skills Of Graduate Students, Lakisha S. Witter

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This quasi-experimental study will explore whether the use of aromatherapy increases students’ academic success and coping skills and decreases the level of perceived stress in graduate college students.

Food Insecurity In Higher Education: Awareness And Response, Rudy Correa

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

How many college students are food insecure? Studies show a wide array of responses to that question, but some of the factors that are consistent are student characteristics, such as living arrangements, parental status, economic status, and racial or ethnic background. Students are impacted in several physical and emotional ways with food insecurity. Colleges and universities are studying food insecurity and responding with campus pantries, educational workshops, and increasing awareness of the issues. How should students learn about the issues and the resources they can access? This paper outlines the research findings and proposes a specific learning module for one …

Missing Voices: Journeys Of Pre-Service Teacher Candidates And Graduates Of Color In A Predominantly White Teacher Education Program, Robbie R. Burnett

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This is a study of the journeys of pre-service teacher candidates and graduates of color who participated as minoritized persons in a predominantly White educator preparation program. In particular, this investigation explores the voices, experiences, and perceptions of minoritized individuals engaging in predominantly white teacher education program. Drawing across two focus groups and three in-depth individual interviews with eight participants, this study found that respondent's journeys were influenced by dyconscious racism and centered in pedagogy of whiteness. Findings from the study also suggest the number of minioritized individuals in the predominantly White teacher education program had an impact on respondents …

Rwandan University Efl Teachers' Perceived Difficulties In Implementing Communicative Language Teaching (Clt), Jean Bosco Ntirenganya

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This thesis examines Rwandan University EFL teachers' perceived difficulties in implementing Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). The data were collected using an online survey questionnaire that was completed by 16 teachers. The results indicated that participants faced several challenges including overly large classes, students' lack of opportunities to use English outside the classroom, the students' tendency to always use their L1 in pair and group work, students' passive learning style and dependence on the teacher, students' low proficiency level in English, insufficient time allotted to English, and teachers' little time to develop CLT materials mainly due to a large number of …

Perceptions Of Failure In Education: Changing The Fear Of Failure Through Gamification, Kathie Anne Kallevig

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of was study is to examine the perceptions in higher education of failure and the use of gamification to address the fear of failure. The perceptions of students about failures and successes in learning through gamification were explored. The research design for the proposed study was a survey comprised of qualitative and quantitative questions. The survey explored how students in formal education view failure in games and in learning, how failure strategies are viewed in higher education lesson plans and if failure strategies can be used to promote learning in games. During the summer of 2014 and during …

Students' Perceptions Of Life Skill Development In Project-Based Learning Schools, Kimberly Ann Meyer

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This research aimed to examine students’ perceptions of their life skills while attending project-based learning (PBL) schools. The study focused on three questions including: 1) What are students’ perceptions of their development of life skills in project-based learning schools? 2) In what ways, if any, do students perceive an increase in their life skill development over a one-year period of time? 3) What relationship, if any, is there between grade level and students’ perceptions of their life skills? The subjects were 275 6-12 students from 2 project-based learning charter schools in Minnesota. One school was located in a rural location; …

Ethnically Diverse Students And K-12 Teacher Preparation Programs: An Analytical Study Of Effective Recruitment And Retention Strategies In Select Midwest Colleges And Universities, Mymique Y. Baxter

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In the years following the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, the shrinking numbers of ethnically diverse teachers in U.S. public schools has been the focal point of public opinion, community leaders, educators and policymakers. To address the scarcity of the nation’s teachers in our teacher workforce, a variety of creative and innovative initiatives, which focused on recruitment, retention, and graduation of students of color have been implemented throughout the years. The purpose of this dissertation was to analyze effective recruitment and retention strategies used at a selection of predominantly white Midwest colleges …

Building Self-Directed Teachers: A Case Study Of Teachers' Perspectives Of The Effects Of Cognitive Coaching On Professional Practices, Kevin S. Bjerken

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This case study of a single school district aims to identify teachers' perceptions of how their professional practices have been affected after four years of receiving Cognitive Coaching. Cognitive Coaching was used in participants' professional development as a part of an Alternative Teacher Professional Pay System and included three observational cycles per year for four consecutive years with a certified Cognitive Coach. Through focus group interviews and surveys, Cognitive Coaching was found to have multiple positive effects on professional development, according to the perspectives of the sample group. Themes of an increase in reflective practice, increased awareness level, and greater …

Assessing Transfer Student Performance, Hyderhusain Shakir Abadin

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Higher educational institutions place a high priority on the retention and timely graduation of students. Previous literature and research studies have identified transfer students to have a vital role in the success of four year universities. The university in the study enrolls a high percentage of transfer students, primarily from two year community colleges within the state of Minnesota. To understand transfer students performance, the study used multiple measures of transfer student success, including (1) cumulative GPA, (2) one year retention rate, and (3) one year graduation rate. The comparison of transfer students and native students is examined, showing that …