Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Education Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 16 of 16

Full-Text Articles in Education

Teachers' Lived Experiences Of Implementing Reading Interventions At The Middle School Level In Small Rural Districts To Meet The Requirements Of The Colorado Read Act: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study, Misty M. Cronsell Apr 2024

Teachers' Lived Experiences Of Implementing Reading Interventions At The Middle School Level In Small Rural Districts To Meet The Requirements Of The Colorado Read Act: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study, Misty M. Cronsell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of small rural middle school teachers who are mandated by the Colorado READ Act to implement reading interventions for all students on READ plans. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy as it pertains to the self-efficacy beliefs the teachers have who are providing these reading interventions. The study involved 10 middle school teachers from across the state of Colorado who were responsible for the reading interventions at the middle school level. The use of individual interviews, focus interviews, document analysis, and a self-efficacy survey …


A Collective Case Study Of Novice Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of Preparedness To Teach Early Literacy Skills To Beginning Readers, Crystal Wright Walker Apr 2023

A Collective Case Study Of Novice Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of Preparedness To Teach Early Literacy Skills To Beginning Readers, Crystal Wright Walker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this collective case study was to explore novice teachers’ perceptions of their preparedness to teach early literacy skills to beginning readers in rural northwest North Carolina. Novice teachers’ perceptions of how adequately prepared they felt to teach early literacy skills to beginning readers in prekindergarten through third grade was examined using Badura’s theory of self-efficacy. The central question was “What are the perceptions of participants regarding their preparedness to teach early literacy skills to beginning readers?” The three sub-questions were as follows: how do participants describe their preparedness as it relates to content knowledge; how do participants …


The Role Of Story In The Creation And Life Of Man, Leah Ginion Apr 2023

The Role Of Story In The Creation And Life Of Man, Leah Ginion

Senior Honors Theses

Story was created by God as a vehicle for the revelation and glorification of Himself. Man, made in the image of God, was created as an innate storyteller. The world was created through story, and story is how it progresses and is sustained. As such, story is the foundation of all culture and the most natural and effective method of human communication. Research points to all of man’s stories being derivatives of the Great Story: the metanarrative of Scripture. Exploring man’s relationship with story reveals his place within the metanarrative and ultimately provides evidence for the existence and active presence …


The Texas Reading Academies And The Experiences Of Teachers Who Instruct Students With Disabilities: A Phenomenological Study, Suzanne S. Jones Mar 2023

The Texas Reading Academies And The Experiences Of Teachers Who Instruct Students With Disabilities: A Phenomenological Study, Suzanne S. Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

To build today's students' reading skills, teachers must know effective instructional reading practices. Therefore, the purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the experiences with learning and incorporating the elements of the Texas Reading Academies with a focus on language comprehension by teachers who instruct students with disabilities in Texas. The Texas Reading Academies' goal is to provide teachers with reading instructional practices grounded in the science of reading. The theory guiding this study was Malcolm Knowles' adult learning theory, with the central research question asking what the experiences of teachers who instruct students with disabilities were with …


Understanding Instructional Spelling Practices Of Third And Fourth Grade Teachers: An Embedded Multiple Case Study, Krista Rae Tennefoss Oct 2021

Understanding Instructional Spelling Practices Of Third And Fourth Grade Teachers: An Embedded Multiple Case Study, Krista Rae Tennefoss

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this embedded, explanatory multiple case study was to explain how internal and external factors shape the instructional spelling practices of third and fourth grade educators in Delaware. Internal factors were personal characteristics, such as content knowledge and pedagogy, that have been developed by past experiences and trainings. External factors were environmental and behavioral elements that vary between schools. The theory guiding this study was the social cognitive theory as it provided a theoretical framework that helped to explain influencers behind teacher choices. As an embedded case study, the main units of analysis were the schools (N = …


A Multi-Case Study Examining The Practices Of Fourth-And Fifth-Grade Teachers In Title 1 Schools Who Use Specific Reading Strategies To Teach The Comprehension Of Informational Text, Candice Maureen Smith Jul 2021

A Multi-Case Study Examining The Practices Of Fourth-And Fifth-Grade Teachers In Title 1 Schools Who Use Specific Reading Strategies To Teach The Comprehension Of Informational Text, Candice Maureen Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multi-case study was to examine the practices of fourth- and fifth-grade teachers in Title 1 schools who use specific reading strategies to teach the comprehension of informational text. One theory that guided this study was Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory focusing on the zone of proximal development as it applies to what a learner can do with and without help, and his concept of learning and development, whereby a child does not develop independently of his or her environment. In addition, Bandura’s social cognitive theory served as a guiding theory for this study. The design was a multiple …


Bibliotherapy As Intervention For African American Socially Aggressive Girls In An Urban School Setting: A Case Study, Deborah Kay Charaman Jul 2021

Bibliotherapy As Intervention For African American Socially Aggressive Girls In An Urban School Setting: A Case Study, Deborah Kay Charaman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this collective case study was to describe how bibliotherapy among adolescent African American females in urban middle schools served as an intervention for female social aggression, or the mean girl syndrome. At this stage of the research, bibliotherapy was defined as the use of literature to support positive socio-emotional health and prosocial behavior. The theory guiding this inquiry was Rosenblatt’s (1969) transactional theory of reading. It stands to reason that if there is indeed a transaction between the reader and the text; bibliotherapy could impact the attitudes, perceptions, and behavior of socially aggressive females. The central research …


Correlation Between Reading Motivation And Engagement And Student Reading Outcomes In Title One Elementary Schools, Tashenna Renee Wiggins Apr 2021

Correlation Between Reading Motivation And Engagement And Student Reading Outcomes In Title One Elementary Schools, Tashenna Renee Wiggins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The following research described a correlational study to examine whether there was correlation between reading motivation and reading engagement on students’ outcomes on the HMH Reading Inventory® in Title I schools for students reading below grade level in grades three through five. Additionally, the research indicated the importance of utilizing motivation and engagement to increase reading achievement. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between reading motivation and reading engagement to reading outcomes in grades three through five for students who are not reading on grade level in Title I elementary schools in the Southeast section …


Principal Instructional Leadership Effect On High School Students’ Literacy Achievement, Kimberly Joyce Pinkney Kelly Jan 2020

Principal Instructional Leadership Effect On High School Students’ Literacy Achievement, Kimberly Joyce Pinkney Kelly

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to further understand the problem of poor literacy achievement among high school students and to design interventions for school leaders to impact and improve high school students’ literacy. Fifteen Florida secondary principals’ self-perceived instructional leadership behaviors were scored using the three dimensions of the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS). The independent variables were the principal’s instructional behaviors, and the dependent variable was sophomore students’ Florida Standards Assessment English Language Arts school level scores for the 2016–2017 school year. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted using four open-ended questions to gather further information …


The Prevalence And Importance Of Ethnic Diversity In Children’S Literature, Rose Schewe Oct 2019

The Prevalence And Importance Of Ethnic Diversity In Children’S Literature, Rose Schewe

Senior Honors Theses

Despite the complicated past of ethnic censorship, ethnic diversity has a prominent role in children’s literature published in the United States because diversity is accurately representative of the culture in which today’s young readers live. Children’s literature has advanced in terms of ethnic diversity in recent decades, but obstacles that prevent the stories of various minority groups from being told continue to exist. In order for all children to feel properly included in the literary world, children must be given the opportunity to see both people who are different from them as well as people who bear similarities to themselves …


A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of African American Male High School Sophomores Who Are Struggling Readers, Nechellar Franklin Jul 2019

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of African American Male High School Sophomores Who Are Struggling Readers, Nechellar Franklin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of African American male high school sophomores in the metro-Atlanta area who are struggling readers. The study encompassed investigation of the self-efficacy, future outlook, and how past and present reading experiences impact African American adolescent males’ ability to be hopeful and optimistic in their future career paths and postsecondary options. Participants comprised 12 African American high school sophomores enrolled in a Title I school found in the metro-Atlanta, Georgia area. The study was guided by one central research question and two research subquestions. In general, the research …


A Multiple Case Study On Fifth-Grade Teachers' Perceptions Of Scripted Reading Programs' Impact On Reading Comprehension, Antonio Tyrone Hairston Apr 2019

A Multiple Case Study On Fifth-Grade Teachers' Perceptions Of Scripted Reading Programs' Impact On Reading Comprehension, Antonio Tyrone Hairston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multiple case study was to examine fifth-grade Read 180 teachers’ perceptions of a commercial scripted reading program and how their perceptions might influence implementation at eight elementary schools in only one school district in Virginia. The theoretical framework of this study was adapted from Lave’s (1991) situated learning theory grounded in constructivism. According to Lave, situated learning should occur in an environment where the instructor provides a learning situation that embodies problem-centered activities that support knowledge. The study assessed how perceptions of a commercial scripted reading program impacts student comprehension for fifth-grade Read 180 elementary teachers …


To Build A Better Textbook: Developing A Literature Curriculum For Today’S Christian Schooling, Abby L. Cockrell May 2016

To Build A Better Textbook: Developing A Literature Curriculum For Today’S Christian Schooling, Abby L. Cockrell

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis explores the educational philosophy and the creative process behind the creation of a new textbook and curriculum. The goal of this new textbook and curriculum is to help persuade high school students to view literature as an avenue of life-long learning. The plan to develop this textbook and curriculum is built on five objectives: a recognition of the need for holistic education, the implementation of differentiated teaching methods, the cultivation of student interest, the reflection of diversity within classrooms, and the integration of modern technology. This plan will be proposed in the creation of a textbook for use …


English In South Asia And Pedagogical Implications, Brittany R. Ehret Apr 2014

English In South Asia And Pedagogical Implications, Brittany R. Ehret

Senior Honors Theses

English at present maintains a significant role as a second or foreign language in the region of South Asia as well as globally. In a discussion of this topic, it is important to explore a brief history of the expansion of English and its origins in South Asia. It is also essential to provide a background of South Asian English and its unique linguistic characteristics as well as its use in different contexts of South Asia. The perspectives of linguists and educators who are native to the region of South Asia should be included as much as possible in this …


The Impact Of Teacher Attitudes And Perceptions Of Direct Instruction On Student Achievement In Reading, Sharon Collum Apr 2012

The Impact Of Teacher Attitudes And Perceptions Of Direct Instruction On Student Achievement In Reading, Sharon Collum

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2004), 37% of America's fourth graders are not reading at grade level. This statistic has remained unchanged for over a decade (NCES, 2004). Findings from multiple studies indicate more research on successfully implementing reading interventions is needed (Begeny & Silber, 2006; Begeny, Krouse, Ross, & Mitchell, 2009). Barnyak and Paquette (2010) suggested that although teachers learn new methods, they return to the strategies they are most comfortable using. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine if teacher attitudes and perceptions of direct instruction impacted student achievement in reading. Elementary …


The Second Language Acquisition Of English Prepositions, Patricia J. Boquist Nov 2009

The Second Language Acquisition Of English Prepositions, Patricia J. Boquist

Senior Honors Theses

The acquisition of English prepositions is especially difficult for students learning English as a second language. This paper briefly discusses how prepositions are used in English and a few of the reasons prepositions cause problems for English language learners. It also analyzes the underlying system that governs prepositions and how this system might be represented to English language learners. Finally, it analyzes the current pedagogy and suggests a possible alternative to the status quo.