Education Commons^™

Influential Experiences: Practices Of Teaching And Learning Successes To Increase Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-Efficacy, Amanda L. Steiner, Jennifer Lemke

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

Teaching is a complex yet rewarding career; still, 40% - 50% of teachers leave the field within the first five years of their career (Ingersoll & Strong, 2011). Teacher preparation programs are often criticized for the lack of connection between theory and practice. Pre-service teachers who have more pedagogical courses and field experiences built into their coursework display higher levels of self-efficacy in their first year of teaching (Boyd et al., 2009; Clark, 2016). Through the lens of Bandura’s four sources of self-efficacy, this case study examines what experiences are most influential in developing pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy.

Teaching Phonics Mastery Through The Use Of Differentiated And Instructional Strategies, Ashley Honeyman

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone reports the effectiveness of using differentiated instructional and assessment strategies to improve student understanding in phonics mastery. Based on pretest data that analyzed understanding of short u consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words, phonics instruction was implemented to meet the needs of students in whole-group and small-group settings. This unit consisted of five whole-group lessons over short u blending and segmentation. In addition to the whole group learning, specific students were pulled for small-group intervention. The unit concluded with a post-assessment that tested student understanding on real and nonsense CVC words; these assessments were implemented to assess if the integration of …

Increasing Student Engagement And Learning Of The Age Of Exploration Through Differentiated Instruction And Assessment, Hannah M. Smith

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone project examines the impact of incorporating two instructional and two assessment strategies within a tenth-grade World Civilization unit centered on enhancing students' comprehension of the Age of Exploration. The Age of Exploration unit had 16 instructional days between the pre- and post-assessment. Drawing insights from student data, it was that learners demonstrated enhanced and increased comprehension and improved performance throughout this unit, attributable to various differentiated instructional strategies and assessment methods. This paper will report what the instructional strategies and assessment methods consisted of and the effect they had on student learning. I collected and analyzed the pre- …

Teaching Story Problems To First-Grade Students Utilizing A Variety Of Differentiated Instructional Strategies And Assessment Methods, Shelby Decker

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone project reports the differentiated instructional strategies implemented throughout a math unit in a first-grade classroom. The capstone will report the effectiveness of two instructional strategies and two assessment methods that were integrated into a math unit that focused on students’ understanding of story problems with a missing addend or subtrahend. The math unit had 13 lessons taught over four weeks between the pre- and post-assessment. Based on student data, students’ understanding and performance increased throughout this unit by using a variety of differentiated instructional strategies and assessment methods. In this capstone, I will report what the instructional strategies …

Analyzing The Effectiveness Of Graphic Organizers In An English Classroom, Alexandra Espinoza

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The use of graphic organizers has risen in classrooms over the past few decades. However, it is essential to assess whether they lead to improved student learning, as some trending instructional strategies are not well-backed by quality research. The purpose of this study was to analyze if graphic organizers are indeed effective to use in a high school English class. This study took place in a secondary school setting for a weeklong unit. For this project, students completed three graphic organizers throughout the unit in order to better understand selected topics relating to the unit’s nonfiction text including inferences, characterization, …

Obstacles In Learning Algorithm Run-Time Complexity Analysis, Bailey Licht

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Algorithm run-time complexity analysis is an important topic in data structures and algorithms courses, but it is also a topic that many students struggle with. Commonly cited difficulties include the necessary mathematical background knowledge, the abstract nature of the topic, and the presentation style of the material. Analyzing the subject of algorithm analysis using multiple learning theories shows that course materials often leave out key steps in the learning process and neglect certain learning styles. Students can be more successful at learning algorithm run-time complexity analysis if these missing stages and learning styles are addressed.

Teaching The Relationship Between Multiplication And Division Through Differentiated Instructional Strategies, Teagan Vaughan

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone project reports the differentiated instructional strategies that were integrated throughout a math unit. The capstone will report the effectiveness of two instructional strategies that were integrated into a math unit that focused on students’ understanding of the relationship between multiplication and division. The math unit had 12 lessons taught over three weeks between the pre-and post-assessment. I will report how the strategies worked and the effect the strategies had on students learning. I collected and analyzed the pre/post-test data and found that nonlinguistic representations and multi-level questioning are effective instructional strategies for increasing student learning.

Keywords: instructional …

The Impacts Of Positive Praise On Science Achievement Levels Of Female Students, Sidney Hanel

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

To the general eye, it appears there has been an increase of women in STEM and overall female interest in science however, this is not apparent in the high school classrooms. The lowest level physics classrooms are overwhelmingly female, and the AP Physics class of twenty-five students has two female students. Society is seeing more equal numbers of males and females in biology, healthcare, dentistry, and other medical related fields. This is a wonderful advancement however many other STEM careers are being forgotten.

This study focuses on five physical science courses one of which is provided with additional feedback and …

Cariño Pedagogy: A Framework Of Corazón, Ferial Pearson, Sandra Rodriguez-Arroyo, Gabriel Gutiérrez

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

Change in the world of education has never been new or unexpected. However, the pandemic that swept the world at the beginning of 2020 caused our world to spin off its axis and force its practitioners into quickly re-evaluating their praxis, their priorities, and their professional responsibilities. Through this reflection, three BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) colleagues in the Teacher Education Department at a midwestern state university examine twelve months of teaching during the pandemic and the strategies they turned to, to stay true to their pedagogical values to ensure their students were taken care of personally and …

Pedagogy Or Andragogy?: Which Teaching Method Produces Successful Esl Tutoring That Involves Musical Activities?, Julia Cormack

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Considering the connections between music and language, as well as Chi et al.’s (2001) theory, this thesis introduces an original case study investigation: which teaching method, pedagogy or andragogy, will be most effective in one-on-one ESL tutoring sessions that use music as source material? The term pedagogy often describes the art and science of teaching. However, its Greek roots refer to the method of the teacher leading the classroom. Meanwhile, andragogy describes a teaching method where the teacher engages with the students in the learning and leading; Greek for “leader of man,” andragogy most often refers to teaching adults. To …

Runway Safety Training Methods For Runway Incursion Prevention, Powers Dicus, Scott Tarry

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The Federal Aviation Administration wants to educate pilots about Runway safety to prevent runway incursions. The number of runway incursions increased nearly 83% from 954 in 2011 to 1,744 by the end of 2017 (OIG, 2018). This experimental research project trained 20 pilots using three different methods of teaching (classroom, online, in a flight simulator) to determine which method most effectively taught pilots about a specific topic in aviation. The different training methods change the way the educational content is delivered and this change in delivery could impact how well the pilots learn the material (Cox, 2010). The participants were …

La Universidad Unit In A Comprehensible Input Classroom, Bailey Morley

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone project looks at a specific unit taught in a Spanish classroom through the use of comprehensible input and the types of activities that were used in order to support comprehensible input in the classroom. It provides a collection of comprehensible input activities that may be used in the foreign language classroom along with providing rationale for the activities, research-supported assessment and instructional strategies, and examples of differentiation and assessment for the unit. A variety of activities were used including class story creation, running dictation, and nonverbal representation. Ways of assessment also varied throughout the unit, incorporating both formative …

Experience Of A Noyce-Student Learning Assistant In An Inquiry-Based Learning Class, Melissa Riley

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

This presentation refers to an undergraduate course called introduction to abstract mathematics at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. During the academic year 2017-2018, undergraduate, mathematics student Melissa Riley was a Noyce-student learning assistant for the Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) section of the course. She assisted the faculty-in-charge with all aspects of the course. These included: materials preparation, class organization, teamwork, class leading, presentations, and tutoring. This presentation shall address some examples of how the IBL approach can be used in this type of class including: the structure of the course, the activities and tasks performed by the students, learning …

Using Multiple Intelligence Theory To Aid In Reading Comprehension, Kelsy Neil

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The main purpose of this study is to determine if using Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory to guide activities for literature groups aids in student comprehension. Students in three literature groups at the fifth and sixth grade level were given a survey to determine each student’s intelligence scores. After each student’s intelligence scores were found, the average of each intelligence score was used to determine the groups’ strongest and weakest intelligences. Activities were then made for each group to correlate with their strongest and weakest intelligences and comprehension was tested after each reading assignment and activity was completed via a …

The Impact Of Collaboration On Clinical Practice In Teacher Education: A Pilot Study, Christina L. Wilcoxen

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

This article shares one university’s work with two metropolitan districts to support preservice teachers during clinical practice through the use of a common language. The pilot merged the concept of co-teaching and coaching to the clinical practice experience. The study was completed over a year’s time and connected preservice teachers’ last methods class placement to their clinical practice placement. Preservice teachers participating in this pilot were paired with a cooperating teacher for an entire year as opposed to a semester experience. Preliminary findings yielded a positive outcome.

Wearable Technology And Schools: Where Are We And Where Do We Go From Here?, Brian K. Sandall

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

The area of wearable technology is having a rapidly growing impact on society with more consumers purchasing wearable tech. At the same time, wearable technology seems to be poised to have an impact on educational settings. This paper explores the area of wearable technology related to schools. It considers how wearable technology can be used by teachers to improve instruction and by students to change how they interact with the school environment. Wearable technology applications currently being implemented as part of the curriculum in schools are identified and discussed. To conclude, traits and skills that school leaders need to exhibit …

Renewing Teaching Practices: Differentiated Instruction In The College Classroom, Wendy Mccarty, Sherry R. Crow, Grace A. Mims, Dennis E. Potthoff, Jennifer S. Harvey

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

At a time of high college student attrition rates, faculty who work in higher education settings are being challenged more than ever before with accountability for student learning. The purpose of this article is to share insights relative to a multi-year professional development initiative that provided college faculty with an opportunity to explore changes in their teaching. Over the course of three years, faculty members honed their knowledge, skills, and dispositions relative to a specific instructional strategy for their own classrooms: differentiated instruction. An experiential approach to the initiative was used, and the degree to which participants committed to change …

The Redirect Behavior Model And The Effects On Pre-Service Teachers' Self-Efficacy, Victoria Lentfer, Bridget A. Franks

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

The ability for a novice teacher to confidently address inappropriate behavior has a substantial impact on student achievement, teacher attrition, and the reduction of bullying instances (Allen, 2010; Marzano, 2003). Classroom management plays a critical role in the success of the student as well as the teacher. The authors propose an intervention that potentially may have considerable impact on a novice teachers’ confidence regarding classroom management. The idea of providing guidelines for novice teachers to implement while redirecting student behavior could perhaps impact self-efficacy with classroom management. This paper describes the implementation of the Redirect Behavior Model with pre-service teachers …

Color Me Calm: Adult Coloring And The University Library, Heidi Blackburn, Claire E. Chamley

Criss Library Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

An activity often reserved for children, coloring books for adults rose from hipster trend to global phenomenon beginning in 2013. Adults flocked to the activity for a variety of reasons, including stress relief, socialization, a way to unplug from technology or even as a way to gain social status by appearing trendy. Participants reported enjoying the tactile, interactive nature of the books as a respite from constant screen time. Coloring books became big business for craft suppliers and bookstores by 2015. Coloring books shot to the top of the Best Sellers list on Amazon and were prominently displayed in book …

Let’S Discuss: Teaching Students About Discussions, Eve Brank, Lindsey Wylie

Academic Publications

Research consistently demonstrates the benefits of employing classroom discussions; however, there has been less attention given to teaching students about discussions. The current research compared 2 advanced social psychology courses: 1 without (control) and 1 with (experimental) a week devoted to learning about and discussing discussions. Several different indicators showed marked improvements for the experimental group as compared to the control group. The differences between the two classes were particularly noticeable at the beginning of the semester. Even though the control group was able to eventually obtain similar scores, the differences at the beginning of the semester suggest that students …

The National Society For Experiential Education Research Collaborative, National Society For Experiential Education

Service Learning, General

The National Society for Experiential Education is embarking on a new endeavor to advance our understanding of how experiential education impacts learning, teaching, and schooling in various contexts and communities. This endeavor, called the NSEE Research Collaborative, will convene national and local researchers to collaborate on a large-scale, multifaceted research study that will investigate various issues in experiential education.

A Glipse Of A New Experiential Learning Theory Paradigm, John S. Duley

Service Learning, General

A pseudo NSIEE Occasional Paper printed as memorabilia for the Wingspread Service Learning History Project Conference, December 2-4, 1995. This was first presented as the closing Keynote address at the 1980 NSIEE conference in San Francisco. It was reworked on the basis of correspondence with Bob Sigmon and conversations with other illuminaries. I reworked it in its present form in June 1988 and submitted it to the then editor of Occasional Papers. For probably several good reasons of which I am not aware, it was not published. So on this occasion I have taken the liberty as a former editor …

Interactive Learning: The Casewriting Method As An Entire Semester Course For Higher Education Teacher's Manual, Brent D. Bowen, Rebecca K. Lutte, Uno Aviation Institute

Faculty Books and Monographs

UNOAI Report 94-2

This guide explains the reasons for employing the case method as a tool in the academic discipline of aviation. It promotes the use of case writing as a unique opportunity to derive even further benefits from case analysis. The benefits to students of using case writing as a learning strategy include a focus on the strategy of a real situation; development of an ownership interest; and development of reasoning, decision making, judgment, group dynamics, formal written and oral communication ability, and organizational skills. This is a teacher's guide that includes the course syllabus, schedule and practical tips …

Interactive Learning: The Casewriting Method As An Entire Semester Course For Higher Education, Brent D. Bowen, Uno Aviation Institute

Faculty Books and Monographs

UNOAI Report 94-1

This guide explains for reasons for employing the case method as a tool in the academic discipline of aviation. It promotes the use of case writing as a unique opportunity to derive even further benefits from case analysis. The benefits to students of using case writing as a learning strategy include a focus on the strategy of a real situation; development of an ownership interest; and development of reasoning, decision making, judgement, group dynamic, formal written and oral communication ability, and organizational skills. Issues related to computerization, research, and internalization are also addressed. Among the topics covered …

Field Experience And Cooperative Education; Similarities And Differences, Joyce K. Fletcher

Service Learning, General

Of all of the benefits associated with experiential education, those related to student development are of the most interest to educators. Those of us who work with students do not need to be convinced of the positive impact work experience has on participants. Anecdotally we share with one another our success stories - stories of individual students who have grown, matured, gained self-confidence or a new sense of direction and purpose because of exposure to what we like to call the real world. Yet, we recognize that these outcomes are not guaranteed, and that in fact, not all students achieve …

Applications Of Developmental Theory To The Design And Conduct Of Quality Field Experience Programs: Exercises For Educators, Michele Whitman, Albert Erdynast

Service Learning, General

Much has been made in experiential learning circles of the implications of empirical findings in developmental psychology for the formulation of a theoretically convincing rationale for field experience education programs of every kind. Of particular significance has been the identification of cognitive structural stages of intellectual, moral, social and ego development through which individuals have been shown to progress--structural transformations of the individual's intra- and interpersonal capacities which closely mirror the traditionally articulated goals of higher education for students' growth. Even as such concepts have been advanced, however, practitioners have voiced persistent reservations about the theory's seeming elitism, the values …