Education Commons^™

#Learningtoteach: Using Instagram To Elicit Pre-Service Teacher Reflection, Monica Thomas Billen

Doctoral Dissertations

The ability to reflect has been identified as a crucial element of teacher expertise. In the past, teacher education programs have encouraged pre-service teachers to become reflective practitioners by keeping journals, creating portfolios, and/or engaging in conversation. However, these methods do not allow individuals to utilize parts of the brain that process visual information. This qualitative study investigated the reflective practice of fourteen pre-service teachers who utilized visual information through photos on Instagram. The purpose of this naturalistic qualitative study was to describe and better understand the development and reflective practice of beginning teachers through observation, interview, and documents. Specifically, …

What Middle Schoolers Want: An Analysis Of The Most Circulated Texts In A Public School District, Kimberly Flanders Mccuiston

Doctoral Dissertations

In today’s climate of education reform and the classroom concentration on texts that are academically rigorous, it is easy to forget the importance of encouraging voluntary reading for adolescents. Understanding students’ interests in texts can provide teachers with the knowledge to promote voluntary reading within the classroom. This embedded case study examined the popularity of texts in a public school district’s middle school libraries through quantitative data drawn from library circulation records. The records from 12 public middle school libraries from a school district in the southeastern United States were used to determine the 10 most frequently checked out books …

The Implementation Of Common Core: Graphic Novels In The Classroom, Chesnie R. Keeler

Honors Theses

The Common Core State Standards are alive and thriving in schools across the nation, and teachers are constantly looking for the best possible ways to implement these rigorous standards with student interests in mind. These standards set goals, or benchmarks, for students to reach at any specified grade level throughout their primary and secondary education; school districts, administrators, and teachers have the choice of deciding how students meet these standards. As a pre-service teacher who will enter the teaching profession, I examine how graphic novels can be implemented into the English Language Arts classroom by analyzing Maus, Persepolis, …

Reflecting Together On Race, Privilege, And Teaching: Why Bank Street Needs Stronger Commitment To Teacher Education In Social Justice, Guiliana De Grazia, Molly Raik

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This project explores the need for high quality teacher training in social justice education and the current program in early childhood education at Bank Street College.

Students’ Perceptions About High School Preparation For Mathematics In Post-Secondary Programs: A Case Study Of One High School, Wendy Pratt

All Theses And Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined how fifteen former high school students from a small, rural high school in central Vermont perceived their preparedness for college level mathematics and identified recommendations for improvement. Student interviews and math assessment data for each participant were analyzed to respond to the research question. The interview protocol consisted of one-on-one semi-structured phone interviews that were recorded for transcription. Thirteen open-ended questions were developed to answer the research question and sub-questions grounded in the research literature and specific concerns identified by the math teachers defined in the case study. The conceptual framework for this research study …

Exploring The Associations Preservice Social Studies Teachers Make Between Discussion As A Pedagogical Approach And Democratic Education: A Multi-Case Study, Rory Tannebaum

All Dissertations

Educational scholars and political theorists credit the use of discussion in the K-12 classroom as a way to provide students with a democratic education through its ability to incorporate various perspectives, inform students of current events and issues, and teach students to think critically about a range of topics. Despite this, however, an extensive body of research details the lack of discussion occurring in K-12 classrooms in the United States. This study seeks to examine this issue by exploring the associations preservice social studies teachers make between the underlying principles of democratic education and the use of discussion in the …

Testimonios On The Role Of Mentorship Of Mexican Immigrants’ Higher Academic Attainment: Vengo Con Ganas, Solo Échame Una Mano!, Jessica Grisel Mendoza Servin

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to highlight the importance of having academic mentors of similar heritage to facilitate higher academic attainment of first generation Mexican immigrants. The researcher assures to demonstrate how constructs such as mentorship, self-efficacy, self-regulated learning, social and cultural capital, and similar heritage due to cultural values can positively influence and contribute to the success of English Language learners in academia.

Through the mentorship relationship, students, particularly minority groups, can tap into social and cultural capital that would otherwise be limited due to their immigration to a foreign country. Immigration typically limits individuals’ ability to communicate …

Old Ideas In New Skins: Examining Discourses Of Diversity On The Websites Of 10 Urban-Serving Universities, Simone Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Deficit discourse, the idea that minorities "lack" intellectually, runs through current ideas about diversity in higher education. Diversity is viewed as a policy that helps the deficient. Recent litigation about diversity, Fisher v. University of Texas (2013), embodied the alignment of deficit and diversity. This study examined portrayals, visual and textual, of diversity on the websites of ten urban-serving universities, using a method of critical discourse analysis and a lens of critical race theory, to uncover the ways they defined diversity and if notions of deficit were attached. This study also addressed the ways these universities, a part of the …

Teacher Perceptions Of Their Responsibilities As Site Based Leaders In Mentoring Colleagues, Danielle Boland

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

In a school setting, teachers may serve as leaders as well as classroom teachers. In any school, principals are unable to run a school without the help of others. This help often comes from classroom teachers who are supporting student and school needs by taking on leadership roles. The focus of this study is to examine teacher perspectives on their leadership role in mentoring other teachers.

The research literature indicates that teacher leaders play an important role in any school setting. Teacher leaders must build their confidence in stepping into this role, supporting the principals in school operations, mentoring, and …

Teaching Respect, Inclusion, And Acceptance In Ethnically And Culturally Diverse Early Childhood Classrooms, Romina S. Sapinoso

Master's Projects and Capstones

Given the increasingly diverse demographics of American public schools, it is necessary for teachers who are interested in exposing their students to concepts of inclusion, respect, and acceptance to have access to a resource guide and model for implementing a curriculum that is culturally and ethnically inclusive. This project sought to develop a resource guide for teachers of early childhood in schools to teach about inclusion, respect, and acceptance in a diverse classroom setting. This resource will be useful for teachers in grades Transitional Kindergarten, Kindergarten, first and second in creating a safe space to celebrate students’ differences and increase …

How Arizona Community College Teachers Go About Learning To Teach, Carolyn J. Hamblin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

New Arizona community college teachers go through a transformative learning process when they learn to teach. They enter the classroom with preformed ways of thinking about teaching. These habits of mind include what they imagine a community college teacher to be. They expect their knowledge and expertise to translate into teaching ability and they are shocked to learn that this is not the case. Classroom teaching involves basic pedagogical skills such as preventing cheating, creating appropriate tests, planning a course calendar, and pacing a lecture. The discomfort that accompanies this revelation causes the teachers to think critically about what good …

"It Is Not In The Stars To Hold Our Destiny But In Ourselves": Tales Of Saudi Muslim Women Maintaining Their Identities In U.S. Higher Education, Debi Sheridan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of these oral histories was to examine, explain and reveal the success of a small group of Saudia (female Saudis) whose studies at a mid-Western American university through the medium of English (their second or third language). Four students were randomly selected from a group of volunteers, based on their successful completion of the English as a Second Language (ESL) program, plus a year of other academic classes in the university. One student, who had not completed the ESL program, was admitted to the master of English program having passed the Test of English as a Foreign Language …

Cursive Handwriting With Kindergartners, Amy J. Carlson

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

Abstract This action research studied the impact of Handwriting Without Tears® (HWT) cursive instruction on handwriting skills for kindergarten students. The study occurred in an early childhood (ages 3-6) classroom at a private Montessori school. Eight students received multisensory HWT cursive instruction twenty minutes per day for six weeks. Sources of data included participant print and cursive writing samples analyzed with a rubric, HWT print assessments, scored attitude scales of participants’ feelings about handwriting, a tally sheet of writing works chosen, and a teacher journal. Following the intervention, participants’ scored higher on the HWT assessment, especially in the section regarding …

Assessing Vocabulary Of Children: Investigating The Evaluation And Instruction Of Basic Concepts, Rebecca Elizabeth Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Vocabulary knowledge of preschool children is a key factor in predicting literacy success in elementary school (Hammer, Farkas, & Maczuga, 2010). However, few deliberate attempts to teach basic concept vocabulary have been studied (Bowers & Schwarz, 2013; Wilson, 2004). The purpose of this research is to determine if large group explicit instruction with interactive activities of specific basic concept vocabulary will increase preschool children's understanding of basic concept terms when measured by a standardized basic concept assessment. This research will also assess the validity of a basic concept-curriculum based measure (BC-CBM) as an efficient tool to monitor a child's understanding …

Defining Primary And Academic Discourse Through Instructional Methods In A Single Junior High Classroom, Ashley Nicole Gerhardson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I examine the use of academic discourse in the school setting and discuss the relation of the primary discourse to academic discourse. I focus on the verbal exchanges between a teacher and her students as these students acquire the academic discourse of the English classroom. The study focuses on the ideas of primary discourse and secondary or academic discourse as presented by Gee (1996) and focuses on his idea of Social languages.

Using a microethnographic study, I develop the idea of how the teacher related to her students and how a single educator felt about the purpose …

A Comparison Study Of Parents’ Perceptions Of Quality In Early Childhood Programs, Juanita Ortiz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research has demonstrated that high quality early childhood education (ECE) programs result in short and long-term benefits that are critical for children to reach their full potential and narrow the achievement gap. Parental involvement has been accepted as integral to quality ECE programs, and parental perception drives parental involvement. Perceptions and contributions of parents and caregivers including those who do not speak English have not been adequately addressed in the research. Furthermore, research has not addressed how parental perception regarding quality in ECE programs may vary according to whether their child has or does not have a disability.

This study …

Negative Impacts Of Teacher Evaluation Reform: The Role Of Federal Policy In Student Achievement And Teacher Quality, Allison Smith

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this sequential transformative study was to elucidate the negative experiences of teachers with performance evaluations and to juxtapose the intended use of current popular teacher evaluation reform movements to the evident implementation. One may quickly assume that negative experiences with evaluation are a result of unsatisfactory teaching practices. However, this may not accurately explain the negative experiences. This study focused on the negative experience of teacher evaluation to provide a broader understanding of the impact of new evaluation policy reform on student achievement and teacher quality. Five data sources were analyzed: PAR policy, a teacher survey, district …

"Keep Funding Or Else... It's Mustaches": Building A Community Of Literacy At Owl Creek, Ian Whitlow

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The following research report on literacy practices presents an analysis of the data collected over the course of four months at Owl Creek middle school in Northwest Arkansas. Following a qualitative research protocol, I interacted with middle school students who participated in the Razorback Writers after-school literacy outreach program sponsored by the University of Arkansas. This report details the two major literacy practices encouraged in this after school program - the collective read-aloud sessions focusing on the graphic novel I Kill Giants, and the students' creation of their own graphic novels, which were developed in group workshops. In the following …

Using A Job Crafting Model To Examine The Job Tasks Of Program Coordinators In Graduate Medical Education, Abigail Elise Arthur

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Graduate medical education (GME) is essential to preparing physicians for independent practice in the United States. Oversight of GME programs requires strict attention to accreditation requirements, state and federal regulations, and high educational standards. Residency program coordinators are an essential part of GME administration. Program coordinators play a critical role in GME residency programs, provide essential, non-medical administration functions, and are positions that are required by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. This study examined the job tasks of residency program coordinators using a job crafting framework. This mixed methods study used a job crafting scale developed by researchers …

Towards A Richer Understanding Of Presence In Teaching In The Elementary School Environment, Jennifer Diane Gardner

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

During the act of teaching, teachers are faced with numerous decisions on how to best meet the varied needs of their students based on their awareness of those students’ needs. This process is encapsulated in the theory of Presence in Teaching, which includes the constructs of teacher awareness, reflection-in-action, teacher decision-making, and connections to student/teacher relationships, professional identity, and pedagogical content knowledge. This qualitative study sought to deepen current understandings of this theory through exploring how experienced teachers become aware of student needs, how they use those awarenesses to inform their decisions made during instruction, the role of reflection in …

Teaching And Non-Teaching Staff Job Satisfaction, Jason Curl

Ed.D. Dissertations

This study focuses on the problem of attrition of teacher in the modern educational system, and the effect job satisfaction has on teacher attrition. Job satisfaction was examined for teaching and non-teaching staff in a high school setting to determine is difference between the employees using the Minnesota Satisfaction Survey Short Form. Analytical methodology was implemented utilizing a MANOVA to examine difference between teaching and non-teaching groups. Results indicated that there was a significant higher level for teaching staff for overall and intrinsic job satisfaction. Extrinsic job satisfaction yielded no significant difference between the groups. Furthermore, Dimensional statistics were employed …

Alternative Assessments And Student Perceptions In The Foreign Language Classroom, Robin Barnard Bachelor

Ed.D. Dissertations

The paradigm shift in education with the implementation of the Common Core State Standards has created the opportunity for foreign language educators to evaluate appropriate and beneficial assessments for their students. This study investigated how first-year students in a Midwestern high school perceived three different alternative assessments in the foreign language classroom: Dynamic Assessment, Task-based Assessment, and Formative Assessment using self- and peer-evaluation. The researcher correlated the perceptions to the students’ assessment scores. Additionally, the researcher compared final exam scores of the control group to those of the experimental group. The results indicated that the experimental group students favorably perceived …

The Value Of Prior Professional Skills And Experiences: Perceptions Of Second-Career Teachers, David M. Kahn

Ed.D. Dissertations

Second-career teachers’ pathways to teaching are often different from the traditional pathways of first-career teachers. This hermeneutic phenomenological study explored the common traits that second-career teachers share that may be unique within education, and whether second-career teachers’ prior skills and experiences assisted them in their new profession. The study also examined whether second-career teachers perceived that their certification programs helped them to develop their teacher identities and taught them to utilize their prior work experiences. Finally, this study investigated whether second career teachers believed that administrators valued their distinctive abilities. Data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews illustrating the individual experiences …

Exploring The Correlation Between Teachers’ Mindset And Judgment Accuracy To Reveal The Cues Behind Teachers’ Expectations, M. Brady Webb

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Teaching is about constantly evaluating one’s students to best situate them for learning and future progress. Based on such evaluations, the academic expectations teachers hold for their students influence their instructional practice and are mediators of student achievement. Forming accurate expectations of students’ ability and accurate predictions of performance is instrumental to effectively improving instruction and advancing student learning. Therefore, when teachers form inaccurate expectations of student academic performance, students can suffer academically and personally. When teachers’ judgments of student learning are based on accurate information reflecting students and their learning, students can benefit academically and personally. Yet, little research …

The Effectiveness Of Storytelling In Mathematics Teaching, Michelle Pfost

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This project was designed as a way for me to create lesson plans that incorporate the research proven highly effective method of using storytelling to teach math. My plan is to incorporate these lesson plans into my future classroom. All of the lesson plans are based on the math common core standards and as such are designed to help students understand and be able to apply these concepts in real-life situations. The main objective of using storytelling to teach these lessons is to help make math "come alive" for these students and help to show them that math can be …

Utilizing Internet-Based Group Mentoring To Retain Home Health Care Nurses, Gwendolyn M. Oglesby-Odom

Ed.D. Dissertations

This study aimed to determine if the implementation of an internet based nurse mentoring group program would aid in the retention of registered nurses in the home health care industry. As the Vice President of Operations for a home health care organization, the researcher both implemented and facilitated an internet based group mentoring program for registered nurses working in home health. The study sample included 47 registered nurses. Forty-two registered nurses were in the control group and five registered nurses were in the experimental group. All sample participants worked in home health care, either in Illinois or Indiana. Quantitative results …

An Exploration Of Information Sharing Among Schools With Gang-Involved Youth, Jennifer L. Van Deusen

Ed.D. Dissertations

This study explored the value of perception of information sharing among educators and school resource officers in schools with gang-involved youth. There were 93 teachers, administrators, and school resource officers who participated in the study. Participants of the study were in 1 of 3 respondent groups: teachers, administrators, or school resource officers. Respondents took the original 39-question survey, The Street Gang Information Sharing Survey, which yielded data on six topics: demographic information, training and knowledge, data effectiveness, perception of knowledge, gang content, and gang interventions. Perception of knowledge was evaluated using an exploration of effectiveness. Results indicated that teacher …

An Investigation Of Perceptions Of Program Quality Support Of Adult Basic Education Programs In Arkansas, Gary William Udouj

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to identify the degree to which the directors of adult basic education programs in Arkansas perceive they have program quality support, as evidenced by a well-defined mission and role in the community, a management system, human resources management, and a suitable learning environment. To collect data for this study, NSCALL's Evidence-based program self-assessment (2006) was modified and administered electronically. Thirty-nine administrators of adult education programs funded by state and federal grants under the Arkansas Department of Career Education were invited to participate. The survey consisted of 40 questions scored on a 5-point Likert type scale, four …

Emr Training Tactics: A Case Study Of Clinical Staff Training Experiences, Needs And Perceptions, Victoria Leaann Miller

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Electronic medical record systems have become essential for giving patient care at health care institutions. The purpose of this study was to explore the training provided to staff at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest Family Medical Center in an effort to identify participant training experiences, needs, and perceptions. This study included qualitative, case study research. There were fourteen participants in the study. A focus group interview was conducted with eight administrative and training participants. Interviews and observations were conducted with six staff members.

The literature review of this study discussed educational theories including andragogy and training techniques. …

A Case Study To Determine Characteristics For A Successful, Diverse School District, Tanya J. Vest

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In a rapidly changing society, education must make adjustments and keep learning focused on the needs of students by providing increased opportunities for success. Classrooms are filled with students of different cultural backgrounds which makes education a challenge to every building leader and teacher. The challenges are how to design instruction and implement it to meet the academic and Social needs of all learners. Understanding different lifestyles, languages, word context, body language, traditions, and dress present opportunities for educators to expand their cultural knowledge and create learning objectives for students which ultimately affect student achievement in the educational environment.

The …