Education Commons^™

Impact Of Single Gender Programs On Achievement, Attendance, Discipline, And Character: A Program Evaluation Project, Carla L. Sparks Dr.

Dissertations

The instance of single gender education in American public schools has risen since the 2006 amendments to Title IX permitting public schools to separate boys and girls for academic purposes. The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of single gender education to promote gains in student academic achievement, increase attendance levels, support character development, and decrease student discipline problems. The context of this inquiry is a large public school district that incorporates single gender education applications across the district. My study is focused on an all-girls middle school and an all-boys middle school, and it demonstrates outcomes …

Implementing Authentic Practice Through Capstone Projects At Selected Terminal Grades: A Policy Advocacy Document, Carla L. Sparks Dr.

Dissertations

American educational and political communities have become focused on assessment of students and accountability of teachers and administrators. Consequently, educators are focused largely on preparing students for high stakes tests, oftentimes at the expense of authentic instructional practice. The educational, economic, social, political, moral, and ethical needs of students and American society demand a policy that provides student experiences that are action-oriented, promote character development, provoke reflective thinking, and develop skills and knowledge that prepare students for life and ultimately transform society. Therefore, I recommend through this Policy Advocacy Document that the school district under study require capstone projects of …

Adaptive Change For An All Boys College Preparatory Public Middle School: A Change Leadership Project, Carla L. Sparks Dr.

Dissertations

As a result of district, state, and national attention on academic achievement, as measured by state assessment tests and end of course examinations, teacher and school leaders at the school identified for this Change Leadership Project (CLP) have worked diligently to raise student rigor and achievement. However, they have used largely instructional practices that rely heavily on the work of educators rather than emphasizing the engagement of students. This CLP provides the basis for a paradigm shift in instructional practice that promotes a full understanding of the value of authentic learning, project based learning, exhibitions of mastery, and capstone projects …

The Value Of An Onsite Residency Experience For Online Mba Programs, Paul Christ, Paul Arsenault, Jack Gault

Marketing Faculty Publications

The number of institutions of higher education offering MBA programs entirely online has expanded dramatically. While such educational options offer advantages for students who cannot easily attend in-class courses, online programs do present a number of challenges for MBA programs including concerns related to assessment, institutional engagement and adequately addressing important business issues such as innovation. To address the challenges presented when delivering programs through distance education methods, many business programs require online students attend one or more on-site “residency” sessions. This paper focuses on one approach to conducting a residency.

A Case Study Of The Experiences Of Students With Disabilities Who Did Not Complete High School, Richard Wieringo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This case study explores the experiences of students with disabilities who have dropped out of high school, so as to identify related factors that led to their decisions. Participants included both males and females who were designated as students with disabilities at Ridgeville High School (pseudonym for a Virginia high school) and who dropped out between their third and fourth years of high school, during the 2010 to 2014 academic years. All participants were between the ages of 18 and 24. The case study was conducted through the use of semi-structured interviews, journaling, and observation of the sample population, with …

National Survey On Leadership Capacity And Scaling-Up Of Pbis Implementation, Julie L. Lowery

Dissertations

This study examined State Education Agency (SEA) efforts to scale up Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) implementation across K-12 public schools within the United States of America. The researcher used archival data to determine percentages of school within each state currently implementing PBIS and a survey method to determine each state’s status regarding standards of PBIS implementation and variables of leadership capacity. The survey instrument was the State PBIS Implementation and Leadership Survey (SPILS). The participants were SEAs from each state and the District of Columbia, as represented by PBIS Coordinators or other designated PBIS professionals. The purpose of …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Impact On Collaboration As Perceived By Educators While Using Software To Manage Individualized Education Programs, Vaughn Hammond

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to gain a deeper, richer understanding of how educators’ use of software to manage individualized education programs (IEPs) impact collaboration in the IEP process. Research questions included: (a) What are the challenges identified by educators when using software to manage IEPs? (b) What are the benefits identified by educators when using software to manage IEPs? (c) What are educators’ perceptions on the impact using software to manage IEPs has on the collaboration among the IEP team? (d) What are educators’ perceptions of the use of software on increasing collaboration skills? Educators from …

The Effects Of Preparedness On Career And Technical Education Student’S Program Performance And Vocational Attainment, Walter Warren

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to consider the effects that academic and vocational preparedness have on postsecondary students’ performance in a Career and Technical Education (CTE) or apprenticeship program, and the relationship between their in-program performance and vocational attainment after program completion. The study was conducted using archival data from a postsecondary CTE institution with a proven track record for administering apprentice programs. The findings from this study are an indication that academic and vocational preparedness are relevant factors when considering students’ ability to complete a postsecondary CTE program, level of performance in a CTE program, and …

The Effects Of Strategy Instruction In Reading Informational Text On Reading Level And Motivation Of Fifth Grade Students, Michelle Adler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this nonequivalent control-group design study was to determine if students had an increase in reading level and motivation to read when more informational text and instruction was added into the curriculum. The independent variables were the reading curriculum, with Success for All (SFA) used with the control group and SFA with additional instruction in informational text used with the study group. The dependent variables were reading level and levels of motivation determined by the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) and the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) measured after eight weeks of instruction and again three months post-study. The …

Investigating The Impact Of Reflexive Practices On College Students In A Science Laboratory Course, Chandrani Mishra

Dissertations

Emphasis on professional practices to develop students’ professionalism is currently a major focus of higher education. Studies have shown the benefits of reflexive practices in classroom to facilitate the development of students’ professional attitude or identity in some fields. Reflexive practices involve students in self-reflection where he/she reflects on his/her own actions. Little investigation about the benefits of reflexive practices in the development of students’ scientific identity in a science class led to my investigation. Development of a scientific identity of students and their overall interest and motivation in science is deemed essential for retaining students in STEM fields.

My …

Elements Of A Strategic Implementation Plan: Implications For Enhancing Combination Classes Using A Multiage Framework, Tracy Harding

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Combination classes are often created out of financial necessity rather than a desire to engage students in multiage learning. Teachers assigned to these classrooms come from the general teaching pool and may not have specialized training around the intricacies of multiage teaching.

A review of the literature indicates that the United States has a long history of multiage classrooms. When the practice of graded schools took over, however the multiage school remained as an approach to teaching children (Anderson, 1992). Progressive education programs often use a multiage classroom paired with looping, students remaining with the same teacher for more than …

Technology Pedagogy And Content In Web-Based Language Instruction For Secondary Vocational Students, Eleni Papantoniou, Thanasis Hadzilacos

Eleni Papantoniou

Students in vocational schools in Greece are less motivated and have low performance in courses demanding academic skills, like language learning with reading and writing tasks (e.g. essay writing). If they were asked, they would say that they prefer to do things rather than study or get involved in traditional classroom language activities. School cannot provide them with language materials and methodology adjusted to their needs. Language teaching and learning is an academic task-oriented subject and teachers find it extremely difficult to arise their students' interest. So, from this point of view there is a gap between need and supply. …

Year Four Of The Qep: So Close Yet So Far, Kelly Whealan George, Aaron D. Clevenger

Aaron D. Clevenger

The Flipped Classroom In An Undergraduate Nutritional Science Course: A Pilot Study, Sidney Man Ngai Chan, Jean Yuk Tin Tse, Peter Hoi Fu Yu

Practical Social and Industrial Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Facilitating Students' Project Work With Online Collaborative Support: A Case From Business Administration Discipline At Hong Kong Institute Of Vocational Education (Lee Wai Lee), Janet Man Wai Cheung, Emma Yim Ha Leung, Candy Mei Ting Leung

Practical Social and Industrial Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Content And Language Integrated Learning In Post-Secondary Vocational Education, Angel Garralda Ortega, Janet Man Wai Cheung, Michelle Yuen Shan Fong

Practical Social and Industrial Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Toward Developing An Academic Discipline, Tim Brady, Alan J. Stolzer

Alan J. Stolzer

It is not often in the life of an academic or of an academic institution that circumstances coalesce to bring about a new academic discipline. But it happened recently, thus a review of the circumstances may be of interest and potentially instructive. Disciplines are typically characterized as a field of study at institutions of higher learning; they have a definable body of knowledge, scholars who contribute to that body of knowledge, teachers who teach in the field, a community of people who identify with the field, a refereed journal, are often associated with a professional practice and, in many cases, …

Assessment Of Learning Gains In A Flipped Biochemistry Classroom, Deanna Dahlke Ojennus

Chemistry Faculty Scholarship

The flipped classroom has become an increasingly popular pedagogical approach to teaching and learning. In this study, learning gains were assessed in a flipped biochemistry course and compared to gains in a traditional lecture. Although measured learning gains were not significantly different between the two courses, student perception of learning gains did differ and indicates a higher level of satisfaction with the flipped lecture format.

Understanding Teachers’ Perspectives On Being Researched: A Case Study Of Two Writing Teachers, Ann D. David, Melody Zoch

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

In this study, we were interested in understanding writing teachers’ perspectives on being participants in qualitative research. After conducting two independent case studies with one elementary school and one middle school writing teacher, the researchers brought the cases together to explore what it meant for the teachers to participate in research. Particularly, the researchers were interested in understanding how the teachers perceived research to influence their reflection and classroom practice. During retrospective interviews, they discussed how participating in research supported their reflective practice and the extent to which they valued a trusting relationship and philosophical alignment with the researcher. In …

The Negotiation And Development Of Writing Teacher Identities In Elementary Education, Shartriya M. Collier, Suzanne Scheld, Ian Barnard, Jackie Stallcup

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

Identity development in writing is a unique process. While many studies have explored the process of developing a professional identity among future teachers, few studies have investigated how teacher candidates develop a writing teacher’s identity. This study explores the development and negotiation of writing teacher identity among 21 pre-service multiple-subject teacher candidates at a large public institution in California. More specifically, the study examines the students’ journeys as they transformed from students of writing in a university methods course to student teachers of writing in a local school district. Our findings indicate that the use of a sociocultural-based approach to …

“It’S Nice To Meet You. Let’S Do Some Inclusion.”, Martha Compton, Celeste Prange, Kaleena Gibson

Inclusion Across the Lifespan Conference

Come hear how one 3^rd grade team went out of their way to welcome and support the teachers and students from a new-to-the-school self-contained class for students with intellectual disabilities and/or autism in a project of grade-appropriate inclusion. The presenters will discuss the power of a positive attitude and combined ownership among staff members. Attendees will be given strategies to create a welcoming classroom community and tips on modifying activities and assessments.

A Preliminary Investigation Of The Role Of Problem Based Learning (Pbl), Alan Pike, Declan Barber

The ITB Journal

In recent years (since the mid 1970’s) there has been an increased interest in Problem Based Learning (PBL) as an educational methodology which is not a instructor-centred as traditional educational methodologies. Education professionals are legitimately asking if PBL is applicable generally to most disciplines, and if so, should it be viewed as an alternative or a complementary methodology. Traditional teaching methodologies for technical disciplines place the instructor very much at the centre of learning for the student (with formal lectures, supervised laboratory work and tutorials), particularly in the early years of study at third level. A common view in education …

Deaf Children’S Science Content Learning In Direct Instruction Versus Interpreted Instruction, Kim B. Kurz, Brenda Schick, Peter C. Hauser

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

This research study compared learning of 6-9th grade deaf students under two modes of educational delivery – interpreted vs. direct instruction using science lessons. Nineteen deaf students participated in the study in which they were taught six science lessons in American Sign Language. In one condition, the lessons were taught by a hearing teacher in English and were translated in ASL via a professional and certified interpreter. In the second condition, the lessons were taught to the students in ASL by a deaf teacher. All students saw three lessons delivered via an interpreter and three different lessons in direct ASL; …

The Peter London Papers, Aaron Darisaw

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

No abstract provided.

Art Therapy In Educational Settings: A Confluence Of Practices, Nicole M. Gnezda Ph.D.

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

Art educators solicit a range of images from students. Art therapists help clients respond to the images they create in ways that promote self-understanding and personal growth. This article describes two settings where art therapy perspectives have been integrated with art education practices in order to help students identify underlying issues impacting their education and well-being. As a result of information that arises in art therapy oriented art education programs, students can be offered guidance and directed to interventions that help them grow past their pain and self-defeating behaviors.

Socially Engaged Art Education Beyond The Classroom: Napping, Dreaming And Art Making, Barbara Bickel

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

Article and video offer a socially engaged art project as an example of dynamic lived curriculum. Through what the Gestare Art Collective call a Nap-In students , faculty and the community encounter and engage the unusual experience of communal napping, social dreaming and art making.

Of Camera And Community, Jodi Patterson

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

Shared insights regarding a socially mediated art practice as "Land Ambassador." Artist utilizes landscape photography and her nomadic travel experiences as an opportunity to educate her "friends" on global climate change.

Art Education In My Backyard: Creative Placemaking On An Urban Farm, Jodi Kushins

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

An art educator describes how she used her knowledge and experience of artistic and educational initiatives that forefront collective activity in real world settings to transform her backyard into an urban farm with the help of friends and neighbors. She combines an autoethnographic account of her experiences, including original photographs, with research on conceptual artists, participatory culture, and creative placemaking to position her work as participatory environmental art education. The paper is organized around the major steps one undertakes in planting a garden – siting, amending, seeding, tending, and harvesting - to draw parallels between the processes of maintaining a …

Other-Than-Ego Consciousness: Approaching The “Spiritual” In Secular Art Education, Nico Roenpagel

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

Alternative worldviews bring forth alternative visions of education. This article sheds light on one contemporary approach to a spiritual worldview and its implications for secular art education. It proposes that high school visual art is a particularly conducive environment to engaging teenagers with existential and spiritual questions. An approach to spirituality grounded in a worldview of “profound interconnectedness” and “other-than-ego consciousness,” rather than religious systems, offers a timely basis for renegotiating the spiritual in secular art education settings. Through five concepts, the article bridges broader discussions on spirituality with concrete learning and teaching in the art classroom. For example, it …

Inverse Inclusion: A Model For Preservice Art Teacher Training, Angela M. La Porte

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

A university community-based intercession course offers preservice art teachers a unique opportunity to experience inverse inclusion in an art class for special needs adults. Inverse inclusion allows preservice teachers to become students working side-by-side with an equal or greater number of special needs learners, and also places them in occasional roles as teacher, teacher’s assistant, and videographer. Their observations and interactions within these roles provide preservice teachers with perceptive insights and perspectives about teaching, and nurture a better understanding of special needs students’ personal interests and abilities. Applying, reflecting upon, and adapting open-ended art curriculum theory and practice from multiple …