Education Commons^™

Educator Knowledge And Usage Of Evidence-Based Interventions For Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders In Special Education Programs Across California, Thelmisha Vincent

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the extent to which evidence-based interventions being utilized with students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) by general education teachers, special education teachers, and behavior interventionists working in K-12 special education programs on comprehensive public and non- public school campuses in California.

Methodology: This mixed method study identified commonly used instructional strategies for students with (EBD) in public and non-public school settings. Respondents were purposefully chosen from general education teachers, special education teachers, and behavior interventionists across California. The data from online survey and interviews were analyzed through factorial ANOVA, descriptive …

Perceptions Of Blended Learning In The High School Classroom, Kelli Murphy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As innovative technologies and accessibility increase in the K12 environment, teachers are offered opportunities to rethink the paradigm of the instructional and learning process. They are at the forefront of instructional change. One type of change is the use of technology as an instructional strategy. Blended learning is a type of instructional strategy which incorporates both online and face-to-face instruction.

The instructional choices a K12 teacher makes under their own volition to present new content in a technology-rich school is the focus of this study. A quantitative research study was performed in a high school with high technology accessibility. Teachers’ …

Preservice Teachers Knowledge Of Adolescent Suicide, Annette N. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teacher preparation programs have a responsibility to prepare future teachers to teach

and mentor students through their academic years. With the rise of suicide in school age children, responsibility has fallen to teachers to better recognize and understand students who may be suicidal. This study sought to answer the question: to what degree does teaching certification, teaching experience, and suicide awareness embedded coursework predict preservice teachers’ knowledge of suicide awareness and prevention? Data from the Adolescent Suicide Behavior Questionnaire and a demographic survey which asked about participants’ preservice training was sent to universities and colleges in Texas with an undergraduate …

"Just Kidding" What Bullies Say, Christina Marie Gumbin

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this Capstone Project is on how present and past staff members of MM Middle School have addressed bullying in their classrooms and what they think could be done to prevent further bullying. This is an important issue for teachers of any grade because bullying affects children at any age. An argument is made that during middle school, bullies tend to say that they are just kidding without knowing why they are bullying. Consideration of the issue, required obtaining the perspectives of the principal and both current and former teachers. Three themes emerged from an analysis of the …

Developing A Theoretical Framework For Visualization-Based Pedagogical Content Knowledge (V-Pck) Based On Middle School Teachers’ Views And Uses Of Visualizations As An Instructional Tool, Jacqueline Samuel

Dissertations

Visualizations is a categorical term that is often used to provide visual imagery to the communication of processes, concepts, exemplar phenomena, and general information. Objects such as graphs, tables, diagrams, animations, and pictures fall in this category. Existing literature focuses primarily on the use of visualizations in the science field at the high school level, collegiate levels, and in pre-service teacher education programs. A gap in the literature exists which examines how science teachers at the middle school level perceive and use visualizations as instructional components in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to examine science teachers views …

Escapando Las Trampas: Teacher Preparation For Mexicanas, Monica Medrano

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Developing Maestras face and overcome linguistic, academic and cultural forms of gatekeeping while trying to navigate through our current education system. For this Capstone Project, the impact that gatekeeping has on developing Maestras and how it affects their academic and professional aspirations was investigated. This is an important issue for developing Maestras, the University of Gringolandia as well as for the education system of Nepantla county. The success of developing Maestras Mexicanas closes the racial gap and directly impacts the student success rate within Nepantla county. The literature and data results analysis indicate that the gatekeeping practices that keep Mexicanas …

Perceptions Of Restorative Practices Among Black Girls: Talking Circles In An Urban Alternative Middle School., Vanessa Marie Mcphail

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that Restorative Justice approaches have shown promise in terms of their impact on school climate, student behavior, and relationships. The purpose of this study is to explore Black female students’ perceptions of Restorative Practice (RP) talking circles at an alternative school. The study examined literature on Zero Tolerance, School Discipline Disparities, African American Female students, Intersectionality, Restorative Justice, and Alternative Schools. A qualitative case study method was used for this study, drawing from two sources: (a) face-to-face interviews and (b) observations of the Black female students who attend the alternative school and participate in the talking circles. Analyses …

Supporting Parents In Title I Schools: A Qualitative Study Of Parent Engagement, Vanessa Sanchez

Master's Theses

This qualitative study focuses on how to improve parent engagement in Title I schools from parents’ point of view. The purpose of this project is to understand parent involvement in a Northern California school and how to improve it. This paper offers insights from parents’ perspectives how parents view the education process. The focus is on their experiences and how to support all parents. The lenses of the study is viewed through a critical pedagogy and social cognitive theory. All five of the parents being interviewed had suggestions on how to improve parent engagement in Title I Schools. The three …

Creating A Meaningful Experience: On Service Learning And Teacher Preparedness, Nhat-Dzu T. Bui, Telia M. Krown

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this Capstone project is on the effectiveness of service learning and its role in teacher preparedness. This is an important issue for Liberal Studies students, professors, and the community because in the Integrated Teacher Education Program, service learning is treated as preparation for teaching, and it can be seen that way for Traditional Pathway students as well. It is argued that while service learning works towards an admirable goal, there are obstacles and design decisions that keep it from being fully effective in preparing Liberal Studies students in becoming teachers. The three primary stakeholder perspectives chosen were …

Culturally Responsive Classroom Management Techniques And Former Riverside County And San Bernardino County Teachers Of The Year: A Phenomenological Study, Brian Redmond

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine what former County Teachers of the Year understand and describe as the methods they use for culturally responsive classroom management with respect to Brown’s Five Culturally Responsive Factors (developing personal relationships, creating caring learning communities, establishing a business-like learning environment, establishing congruent communication processes and, teaching with assertiveness and clearly stating expectations).

Methodology: This qualitative study used a phenomenological design to discover what former County Teachers of the Year do to identify and describe as the methods they use for culturally responsive classroom management with respect to Brown’s Five Culturally …

Engineering Career Academies: A Comparison Of Middle School Student Academic Performance, Jakub D. Prokop

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A quasi-experimental study tested an integrated curriculum design in two career academies with engineering themes at the middle school level. Teachers in the engineering career academies, using the National Standards of Practice, implemented cross curricular units to middle school student cohorts. Participant cohorts ranged in sample sizes (n = 79, 155, 237, and 232) during the four years of analysis. Constructivism was used as a framework for the study and supported by integrated curriculum units. This study examined middle school students’ performance in reading and mathematics on state assessments of students in the engineering career academies to students not enrolled …

Teacher Professional Learning In Multiliteracies Pedagogy: Exploring The Lived Curriculum Of Preservice And In-Service Educators, Joelle Nagle

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this exploratory case study is to examine the lived curriculum (Aoki, 1993) of preservice teachers enrolled in a Bachelor of Education language arts course and in-service teachers enrolled in an online graduate program, both with a focus on multiliteracies pedagogy. Through this study, the rationale is to understand how these formal professional learning experiences shape teachers’ perceptions of their literacy pedagogy. Specifically, the aim is to gain insight into how to promote multiliteracies pedagogy in preservice and in-service professional learning. This dissertation research builds upon two qualitative exploratory case studies (Stake, 2010; Yin, 2012) rooted in a …

Promoting Mentally Healthy Classrooms: Evaluation Of Online Mental Health Literacy Instruction In Pre-Service Teacher Education, E. Robyn Masters

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

To better understand how to prepare large numbers of pre-service teachers for their role in creating and leading mentally healthy classrooms, this program evaluation explores outcomes related to an online mental health literacy course at a large central Canadian university. The course was delivered to 275 teacher education students simultaneously over 10-weeks and 20-hours of online instruction and professional reflection. Results indicated significant improvement in self-reported levels of mental health literacy, stigma toward mental illness, and self-efficacy for teaching students with diverse challenges. Qualitative reviews of participant feedback identified the most valuable aspects of the course and the ways in …

A Correlational Study Of The Relationship Between Holistic Self-Care Practices And Burnout In Middle School Teachers, Laura Fitzpatrick

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Teachers, particularly at the middle school level, are experiencing feelings of burnout, leading to high attrition rates. Wellness initiatives have been implemented in schools to help combat burnout, but few have taken a holistic approach to self-care. The theory of holism supports that teachers who take care of all aspects of self—physical, essential, creative, coping, and social—are ultimately able to be more engaged, effective teachers. The goal of this study was to determine the relationship burnout has with holistic self-care practices, gender, and years within the profession for full-time middle-level educators. A total of 196 full-time teachers of grades six, …

Promoting Inclusion In A "Struggling School": Supporting Co-Teachers Through Critical Appreciative-Inquiry Based Professional Development, Louis Olander

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation explores the extent to which the beliefs and practices of teachers who work in a “struggling” school can be shifted towards inclusiveness through an action research based professional development program. The school was struggling in that it was charged with the education of children who are marginalized by a range of social forces while simultaneously accountable to institutional priorities. Broadly speaking, these institutional priorities preferred behaviorist punishment and technocratic approaches to meeting student needs, devaluing and decontextualizing students’ proficiencies as test scores and special education labels, in turn impeding inclusive change. Over the course of four months, an …

The Principal’S Role In Expanding Multicultural Understandings In Predominantly White, Rural, Middle School Grades, Jacquelynne Chase

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the principal’s role in expanding multicultural understandings in predominantly White, rural, middle school grades. A review of the literature provided information on three areas: (a) benefits of expanding multicultural understandings, (b) implementing multicultural understandings, and (c) school leaders’ role. The literature did not include information to address a prevalent problem in Massachusetts: Principals of rural, predominantly White schools with middle grades typically do not consider expanding multicultural understandings a priority. This explanatory sequential mixed methods study used a closed-response survey and in-depth interviews with principals across Massachusetts. The survey was sent to …

Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Integration Of Technology Into Pedagogy, Joe George Gerez

All Theses And Dissertations

The aim of this qualitative exploratory case study was to examine middle school teachers’ perceptions of the integration of technology into pedagogy. Data collection occurred from analyzing middle school teacher’s experiences, observations, and motivation following a technological implementation initiative into pedagogy. The evaluation of the study data included the analysis of surveys and interpretation of in-depth interviews of teachers. A pedagogical focus on teacher integration of technology supported by the self-determination theory as the research study’s theoretical framework examining human motivation was appropriated to the case study. As educational leaders face significant challenges in understanding the impact of teachers’ perceptions …

Teachers’ Job Satisfaction: Content Area In Relation To Middle School Teachers’ Job Satisfaction, Ashley Potter

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

Retaining high quality teachers to counteract the teacher shortage happening across the nation has been a focus of the education system. Middle school educators require a certain skill set and knowledge to be effective at this vital time in their student’s lives. These specific set of educators have not been exempt from the shortage statistic. A teachers’ overall job satisfaction plays a major role in their decision making on a daily basis and their longevity in the profession. Although there are studies on teachers’ job satisfaction, there is minimal research available on how the content area a middle school teacher …

Exploring The Link Between Students’ Usage Of Aleks And Their Performance On State Benchmark Assessments In Mathematics, Verna Marie Richard

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate relationships between students’ ALEKS usage, teachers’ implementation of ALEKS, and student performance on the 2017 – 2018 LEAP 2025 mathematics assessment. The quantitative portion of the study involved district-level analyses and teacher-level analyses that explored relationships between students’ ALEKS usage and LEAP performance. The qualitative portion of the study took into consideration previous research findings that have reported associations between program implementation and student achievement. This portion of the study included thematic analyses that examined the following relationships: ALEKS implementation in relation to teacher groups (i.e., RtI 8, Math 8, …

Transforming Professional Development For Today's Educational Environment, Amy L. Geurkink-Coats, Richard A. Regina

Dissertations

Professional development is vital to education. It provides an opportunity for continued growth and learning for educators throughout their career. While teachers earn credentials and certification through a university, professional development is intended to hone skills and help teachers evolve in an ever-changing landscape. The changing landscape may involve technology, generational needs, or broader societal interests. This research is an analysis of the implementation of transformational professional development in one large suburban Midwestern school district and one large Midwestern high school in another district. It analyzes data regarding professional development and examines literature that studies teacher participation, attitudes, and transfer …

The Effect Of Coaching On Teachers’ Instructional Technology Use In A 1:1 Environment, Michael L. Mitchell

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Current research has reported the benefits of integrating technology into the learning experience for students to promote greater engagement and collaboration. Schools across the country have begun implementing one-to-one learning environments in which each student uses a mobile computing device. However, use of technology in the classroom has failed to produce the expected transformational benefits. In order for technology to be integrated effectively, current research suggests that teacher pedagogy must adjust to the one-to-one classroom approach, and requires professional development to facilitate growth in their instructional practices while integrating technology. Research shows that coaches working one-to-one with teachers can be …

Teacher Professional Development And The Seven 21st Century Survival Skills: A Program Evaluation, Nykowanna Sloan

Dissertations

This evaluation examined the extent to which one 6-12 school in an urban school district used professional development to support teachers’ inclusion of 21st century survival skills (Wagner et al., 2008) in classroom instruction. Through collecting quantitative and qualitative data from stakeholders using surveys and interviews, this study revealed how effectively teachers are or are not being instructed to teach the post-graduate survival skills necessary for student success. This study included commentary on the needed changes in leadership determined by the evaluation of the program. Outcomes of this study outline an essential new program and a change in policy that …

Factors Influencing Teachers To Remain At Charter Schools, Tyneasha Banks

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that contribute to teacher longevity in charter schools located in central and northwest Indiana. Phenomenological methodology was used to collect data regarding charter school teachers’ perceptions by conducting in-depth interviews. Charter school teachers who had remained with the same charter school for 2 or more years were asked to provide information about factors that influenced them to remain. Fourteen teachers were interviewed. Results showed that charter school teachers in this study were motivated to remain with a charter school for 2 or more years because of the following factors: (a) building …

Co-Teaching As A Vehicle To Inclusion In A Diverse Suburban Middle School: A Case Study, Luis Correa

Dissertations

Many school districts across the United States have adopted, or are considering adopting, full inclusion to meet academic and social-emotional needs of increasingly diverse student populations. Co-teaching has become a popular approach for districts committed to inclusion. This study is about a Midwestern school district which more than 10 years ago committed itself to inclusion and co-teaching. The primary research question was: How do we make co-teaching more effective in the Fairview School District? A survey was sent to 120 co-teachers from three middle schools about their experiences with co-teaching in the areas of sharing responsibilities, co-teaching relationships, planning time, …

Fragile Strength: Math Self-Efficacy Of High Achieving Girls, Tristan Tang

Education | Master's Theses

Math gender gap research shows girls’ math self-efficacy to be correlated with their interest in pursuing higher levels of math education and STEM career opportunities. Most math gender gap studies have used only quantitative approaches, thereby missing the opportunity to gain deeper perspectives directly from girls who are steadfastly facing the math gender gap. This study centered around two small focus groups of girls attending a unique secondary school where every afternoon is fully dedicated to deep engagement with higher-level mathematics. Additionally, parents of girls at the school were surveyed to provide further insight into possible sources of their daughter’s …

Peer Observation As A Job-Embedded Professional Development Tool, Daniel J. Breiman

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Teacher professional development is typically provided outside of the workplace, and is therefore disconnected to daily classroom practices. An alternative model of professional development is peer observation, which is contextualized through coaching and collaboration in the classroom. To date, research and investigation into the practice of peer observation is lacking. To fill that gap, this study examined the influence of peer observation on teacher practice, while identifying factors that were most beneficial and challenging about peer observation and its influence on workplace collegiality.

This study used qualitative methods and action research that allowed teachers to be part of the research …

Exploring The Moderating Effect Of Teacher Practice On The Relationship Between Prior Student Academic Performance And Current Student Academic Performance In A New Jersey Public School District, Marc Biunno

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

When New Jersey passed the TEACHNJ legislation in August of 2012, it brought about the ACHIEVE NJ educator evaluation and support system. New Jersey would shift from a two-tier evaluation system (satisfactory and unsatisfactory) based solely on administrator observations to a four-tier system (ineffective, partially effective, effective, highly effective) based not only on administrator observations but also locally set Student Growth Objectives and, in the areas of ELA and Math in tested grades, Median Student Growth Percentiles (MSGPs). Median Student Growth Percentiles are the amount of student “growth” on the PARCC ELA and Math assessments, which the State attributes to …

Methods Of Teaching Latin: Theory, Practice, Application, Morgan A. Nicoulin

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this project, I present a way to effectively blend modern theories of language acquisition and the contemporary practice of teaching Latin. I intend to demonstrate that a curriculum is able to balance both traditional and innovative philosophies by adapting Second Language Acquisition Theory’s idealized way to learn a language to fit the realistic limitations of the classroom. I begin with a discussion of the history of language pedagogy, focusing on Latin’s influence on the study of language learning from antiquity to present. Next, I present the key topics in SLA and the practical implications of this research for today’s …

Formative And Summative Test Process: The Students' Perspectives, Bailey Goodenough

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Students are assessed using a variety of formative and summative assessments. One West Texas School chose to implement an assessment process using both forms of assessment. The Formative and Summative Test process is a three-day process allowing teachers to collect data, reteach content, and help students meet mastery. The purpose of the study was to understand the students’ perceptions of the testing process, as well to determine if test grades were improving and how the process came to be. The author collected data by distributing surveys, conducting six student interviews and one administrator interview, and observing student conversations. After analyzing …

Implementation Of Standards-Based Grading At The Middle School Level, Amy Louise Manley

Theses and Dissertations from 2019

The grading practices in education are steeped in tradition. Although the inaccuracies of grading have been written about for over 100 years, schools have been slow to tackle grading reform. This research study is based on a case study which investigated the implementation of standards-based grading from traditional grading in one middle school. This case study was developed to answer one research question: How was standards-based grading implemented in the middle school? The research obtained in this case study will be used with the researcher’s own school community as they transition to standards-based grading. The case study involved semi-structured interviews …