Education Commons^™

Pacific Islands Literacy And Numeracy Assessment : Collaboration And Innovation In Reporting And Dissemination, Michelle Belisle, Elizabeth Cassity, Ratieli Kacilala, Mere T. Seniloli, Torika Taoi

Assessment and Reporting

This case study examines the Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (PILNA), which has developed as a regional model designed to enable the negotiation of a high degree of consensus among the participating countries. Commitment to a collaborative approach pervades all aspects of PILNA, from governance, operation and development through to data sharing, reporting and dissemination of results. The efforts undertaken to reach consensus, enhanced transparency and public dissemination of results have stimulated countries in the region to investigate how data on student learning outcomes may be used and shared in a common endeavour to improve the standards of education …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Exploration Of The Shared Perceptions Of Online Adjunct Faculty In The United States Who Have A High Sense Of Community, Tiffany Ferencz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of online adjunct faculty who have a high sense of community within their respective university. Sense of community was generally defined as feelings of connectedness within the university community. The theories that guided this study were McMillan and Chavis’ (1986) sense of community theory and Herzberg’s (1968) motivation-hygiene theory. McMillan and Chavis’ sense of community theory suggests a sense of community is a powerful force that influences people. Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory is used as it identifies guiding principles for why people are motivated to work. The central question …

Middle School Teachers’ Perspectives On Promoting Effective Technology Integration, Yona Andrew Rose

All Theses And Dissertations

Technology integration reforms in education have increased in number and expectation throughout schools across the United States. Some instructors have experienced barriers with skill sets, attitudes, professional development opportunities, and collaboration time which have impacted their ability to model good practices. Pictures of qualified, confident teachers integrating technology into their classrooms with regularity and fidelity are unclear. Existing literature was reviewed regarding methods of increasing teacher comfort and knowledge related to technology integration so that the 21st Century Skills of critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication can be addressed in public schools. This research study explored what middle school teachers …

Development And Validation Of A Classroom Observation Instrument For Implementation Of Co-Teaching Practices, Amy Rogers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to develop and field test the Co-Teaching Observation Instrument (CTOI) to determine its validity and reliability as an instrument for the observation of general and special education teacher practices in co-taught classrooms across kindergarten through twelfth grade levels. Face and content validity were established through a review by 10 experts in the field of special education. The experts were asked to pilot the instrument and then rate the composite instrument on a three point Likert-type scale in terms of whether it measures co-teaching practices including the dimensions of collaboration/teacher parity, teacher to student interaction, …

The Effectiveness Of Digital Leadership At K-12 Schools In Mississippi Regarding Communication And Collaboration During Ccrs Implementation, Lin Zhong

Dissertations

Successful CCRS implementation requires educators to communicate and collaborate at the local, state, and national level. Technology plays an important role in successful CCRS implementation. This study aims to investigate how digital leadership improves communication and collaboration at K-12 schools in Mississippi regarding implementation of CCRS as well as the effectiveness of different ways of supporting communication and collaboration regarding CCRS implementation. Mixed-method was chosen to investigate the research questions. Ten public school principals from two school districts were interviewed and observed at qualitative stage and two hundred fifty-four public schools teachers participated in the survey at quantitative stage. Interviews …

The Nature Of Teacher Learning In Collaborative Data Teams, Robert Michaud

The Qualitative Report

As data teams have grown in popularity in recent years, they have been increasingly looked to by educational researchers because of the tantalizing prospect of combining teachers’ on the job professional development with increased and effective data use to drive instruction. Data teams have been increasingly implemented within schools by educational leaders attempting to take advantage of what teachers learn from each other in the context of a data team. Many conceptual models of data team function have been proposed, but few empirical studies have examined how teachers learn from collaborating with each other in a data team. This paper …

Coding By Choice: A Transitional Analysis Of Social Participation Patterns And Programming Contributions In The Online Scratch Community, Deborah A. Fields, Yasmin B. Kafai, Michael T. Giang

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

While massive online communities have drawn the attention of researchers and educators on their potential to support active collaborative work, knowledge sharing, and user-generated content, few studies examine participation in these communities at scale. The little research that does exist attends almost solely to adults rather than communities to support youths’ learning and identity development. In this chapter, we tackle two challenges related to understanding social practices that support learning in massive social networking forums where users engage in design. We examined a youth programmer community, called Scratch.mit.edu, that garners the voluntary participation of millions of young people worldwide. We …

Strategic Onboarding Of Online Doctoral Students: Creating A Pathway To Academic Persistence, Barbara Holmes, Kent Willis, Ericka Woods

Education Doctorate Faculty Works

An onboarding strategy can help online universities improve new doctoral student productivity, engagement, and retention. A prescribed plan is vital to ensure the onboarding process is aligned, and clear designed support is provided for students. Recent literature justifies strategic onboarding includes acquiring the necessary knowledge, skills and behaviors to become successful members of an organization (Beaver and Erdogan, 2011). Similarly, doctoral students may benefit from clearly designed rules, protocols, and practices exclusive to the online doctoral experience. This study presents the process of strategic onboarding strategies for that will provide a smart start for online doctoral students.

Citation:

Strategic Onboarding …

Examination Of An Independent School’S Site-Based Summer Program, Susan W. Keogh

All Theses And Dissertations

This study examined the summer program offered by a pre-kindergarten through grade twelve independent school. Three levels of theory, individual, group, and organizational, were utilized to analyze the experiences of students and instructors. The variety of opportunities and instructional design elements, the intentional alignment to the traditional school year, collegial discussions connecting summer learning and the school year, and evidence of the school’s mission were examined.

Findings revealed a wide-range of educational experiences and the benefits of continuous learning that are evident the following school year. Class designs incorporated instructional elements supported by individual learning theories. Academic standards and expectations …

The Effects Of A Collaborative Team On Early Intervention In A Preschool, Tiffany L. James

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

Abstract The purpose of this project was to see what effects collaboration had on early intervention in a preschool. Fourteen guides at a Montessori preschool in Texas were asked to complete a beginning survey, attend weekly collaborative meetings for seven weeks, attend a focus group and complete an ending survey. Data showed that collaboration helped the teachers feel more valued and supported when helping all kinds of different learners. For the purpose of this study, different learners included children with behavioral concerns, learning disabilities and support needs. Interventions ranged from activities or exercises for individual children to lessons given to …

T He Effects Of Loose Parts And Nature-Based Play On Creativity In The Montessori Early Childhood (3-6 Year Old) Classroom, Leah C. Yavuz

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this research was to determine if the addition of natural loose parts, or manipulatives, to the outdoor play yard would increase creativity in the classroom. This study took place in a private Montessori school with 14 children ages 3 to 6 years old over a five-week period. Various methods were used to gather information to determine any change in creativity. Observations of creative behaviors, concentration (state of flow), and spontaneous collaboration were collected as well as drawing tests for creative thinking, and samples of creative writing and artwork. The results of the study found that the loose …