Education Commons^™

Factors Impacting Success In Ninth Grade Algebra I For High School Students, James M. Lamie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS, 2013), No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and the Race to the Top initiative of 2009 has placed a greater emphasis on high stakes testing. A renewed emphasis on math education for all students and their ability to succeed in high school mathematics place new challenges on today’s classroom teachers. Although the belief is that with new standards and best teaching strategies students will improve their test scores, there are multiple factors that can serve as deterrents to the success in mathematics for at-risk high school students (Balfanz, 2009). The …

Weightlifting, Performing Arts Electives, And Academic Achievement: A Comparison In An East Tennessee High School, Lana Page

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant relationship between the academic achievement as measured by ACT English, math, and composite scores of students who took 6 or more credits of weightlifting, 6 or more credits of performing arts, or no elective focus in an East Tennessee high school serving grades 9-12 from the graduating classes of 2010 through 2014. The independent variables were the elective focus groups students took during high school and race and ethnicity. The dependent variables were ACT English, math, and composite scores. A series of one-way analyses of variances (ANOVAs) …

Faculty Integration Of Technology In Undergraduate Courses At Private Colleges And Universities, Evelyn G. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to investigate the integration of technology in undergraduate courses by faculty at private colleges and universities. Integration of technology is using technology as an instructional tool to improve teaching and learning (Clayton-Pedersen & O’Neill, 2005; Wilson & Hayes, 2000; Woodbridge, 2004). Chickering and Gamson’s (1987) 7 principles for good practice in undergraduate education provided the theoretical framework for this research. The researcher conducted a survey of full-time faculty at 21 private colleges and universities in Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The results of the study indicated that faculty use …

An Examination Of Successful Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Males In A Northeast Tennessee Middle School, Stephen E. Long

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the factors that contribute to positive educational outcomes as measured by the EXPLORE test for eighth grade males who qualify for free or reduced price lunch. In addition, this study was conducted for the purpose of improving the educational program at a Northeast Tennessee middle school. Archival EXPLORE data, as well as free and reduced price lunch data, were used to identify high school graduates, 6 males and 6 females, who had performed at or above expectation on the eighth grade EXPLORE test. Females were included …

An Exploratory Critical Study Of Questioning Strategies Posed By Early Childhood Teachers During Literacy Blocks, Angela H. Baker Ms.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the cognitive types and functions of questions orally posed by early childhood teachers in kindergarten through 3rd grade during a 90-minute literacy block. The cognitive types of questions were determined by the criteria established using Hess’ Cognitive Rigor Matrix (Hess, Jones, Carlock, & Walkup, 2009). The functions of the posed questions were determined by criteria based on the work of Costa (2001), Hughes (as cited in Fusco, 2012), and Lowery (as cited in Fusco, 2012). This study examined questioning strategies used by 12 early childhood teachers from a Northeast Tennessee School District. …

"Punk Has Always Been My School": The Educative Experience Of Punk Learners, Rebekah A. Cordova

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Punk music, ideology, and community have been a piece of United States culture since the early-1970s. Although varied scholarship on Punk exists in a variety of disciplines, the educative aspect of Punk engagement, specifically the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) ethos, has yet to be fully explored by the Education discipline.

This study attempts to illucidate the experiences of adults who describe their engagement with Punk as educative. To better know this experience, is to also better understand the ways in which Punk engagement impacts learner self-concept and learning development. Through the phenomenological in-depth interviewing of six adult participants located in Los Angeles, …

Year Of The Adopted Family: Selected Folktales For The Seasons Of Adoptee Personal And Cultural Identity, Rachel R. Hedman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In a study of the application of storytelling to adoptive family bonding, sensemaking, and cultural adjustment, I selected 12 world folktales for adoptive families to use as oral storytelling activities. I designed and facilitated a workshop for 7 adoptive families focusing on how to select, to learn, and to tell stories as well as how to play story-based games with their children. Each adult told 1 of the 12 folktales, played 1 or 2 of 37 games (12 traditional games, 25 storybased games), and shared reactions and interactions of family members. Using the term “story talk” to describe conversational byplay …

Development And Validation Of Indicators Of Secondary Mathematics Teachers' Positive Dispositions Toward Problem Solving., Alison L. Mall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines disposition from a historical, theoretical and practical viewpoint. Chapter I introduces the purpose of the study: to apply Wilkerson and Lang’s (2007) Disposition Assessment Aligned with Teacher Standards (DAATS) model to develop an assessment framework for measuring secondary mathematics teachers’ dispositions toward mathematical problem solving. The study assumes secondary mathematics teachers’ positive dispositions toward problem solving and students’ productive dispositions toward problem solving are significant, beneficial factors in the mathematics classroom. Chapter II examines the historical, theoretical and professional literature on teachers’ dispositions and builds a case for: (1) the inherent value of teachers’ dispositions toward problem …

Cognitive Coaching : The Impact On Teacher Candidates' Teacher Efficacy., Stefanie Wooten Burnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact Cognitive CoachingSM, a mentoring tool, (a) has on physical education teacher candidates’ teacher efficacy and (b) their perceptions of the impact Cognitive CoachingSM had on the lesson planning and lesson reflection abilities during a student teaching experience. Both quantitative and qualitative measures were employed to determine the impact of Cognitive CoachingSM physical education teacher candidate’s teacher efficacy. The design for this study was a quasi-experimental design with an untreated control group with pre-test and post-test samples (Shadish, Cook & Campbell, 2002). The quantitative date was collected through the Ohio State …

School Of Rock: The Curricular Dimensions Of An All-Ages Venue, Lesley Nora Siegel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Schools are only one of many sites for pedagogy and curricula. Youth encounter educative experiences at many sites and in many forms. For many youth, the all-ages music scene is their most meaningful classroom with the music and the ethos of the movement serving as their teachers and other young punks their classmates.

This study examined the learning experiences and the dimensions of received curricula at an established all-ages music venue in a large urban city. The Vera Project in Seattle, Washington was the subject of this qualitative study, which utilized the methodology of educational connoisseurship and criticism to describe …

Transition From Brick And Mortar To Online Teaching: Middle-Grade Teachers' Perspectives, Cathy Griffin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate and understand how middle-grades teachers describe the transition from brick and mortar to online teaching of middle-grades students. A qualitative, descriptive case study design provided the framework for this study. An investigation into the lived experiences of a group of online middle-grades instructors making the transition from a traditional classroom setting to an online environment was conducted using interviews and online journaling.

The questions guiding this study were (a) How does a middle-grade teacher describe the transition from brick and mortar to online teaching of middle-grades learners? (b) What do middle-school teachers …

An Examination Of The Correlation Between The Seven Critical Leadership Functions And Middle School African-American And Hispanic Student Achievement, Shannon A. Flounnory

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study examined possible correlations between each of the seven critical leadership functions and achievement in the areas of mathematics for eighth grade African-American and Hispanic students. The 117 participants included school leaders and students from 12 of the 19 middle schools in a metropolitan school district in the southeastern region of the United States. Principals from the middle schools in the district distributed the Critical Leadership Functions Questionnaire to members of their leadership team (e.g., assistant principals, school counselors, department chairs, etc.). CRCT scores measured student achievement. The researcher conducted a correlation study, using Pearson’s multivariable correlation data …

Classworks As A Means To Gaining Equity In The General Education Math Classroom: Perceptions Of Students Receiving Special Education Services, Diane Marshall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the importance of math steadily increasing, researchers in the field of special education have made efforts to increase the performance of students with disabilities (Fuchs et al., 2008; Gersten, Jordan, & Flojo, 2005). Despite the deficits these students face, the trend has been for many years that most students with disabilities in math receive their instruction in the general education classroom. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions that students receiving special education services have regarding the effectiveness of Classworks, a computer-assisted instructional program, in helping them gain equity in the general education math classroom. Critical …

Untold Stories And Silenced Voices: Lives Inside A North Georgia Elementary School, Donna S. Troupe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is an inquiry into the lived experiences of Southern, white, female teachers who teach their overwhelmingly Southern, white student populations in a rural/suburban North Georgia elementary school. I explore the obstacles and challenges they face as they experience the negative and crippling effects of the policies and practices forced upon them in their teaching and learning environments. Drawing upon the theoretical works of Dyer (1997), McIntosh (2012), Anderson & Collins (2007), Morrison (1992), Jupp (2013), Sleeter (1993, 2003), Smith (1944,1949), and hooks (1992) on race and critical white studies; the works of Apple (2001,2008), McLaren (1998), Foucault (1977), Freire …

Transition Competencies: Secondary Special Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Their Frequency Of Performance, Tonisha L. Johnson Ed. D.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Millions of high school students are receiving special education services from teachers who may be inconsistently performing competencies during transition planning that leads to sustainable, postsecondary success. Secondary special education teachers’ frequency of performance of transition competencies during transition service delivery are essential to fulfilling their duties and responsibilities towards effectively implementing the Individualized Education Program of students with disabilities. The purpose of this descriptive study is to examine the correlation among secondary special education teachers’ perceptions of their transition competencies’ frequency of performance, during annual transition services. This study employed a quantitative methods approach involving an adapted version of …

May I Walk Beside You? Exploring The Journey Into The Careers Of African American Women In Childcare Through Their Stories, Lisa K. Heusel Dr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study the African American childcare provider’s life experiences are heard through the use of narrative inquiry and oral history. Often perceived as individuals who could not become teachers in the K-12 system, the women presented tell the reader in their own words what factors lead them to becoming childcare providers. By focusing on oral history, the stories told solidify the idea of the past creating the present. Education, religion, socioeconomics, culture and racial issues play an important part in each person’s life. Therefore, these factors were the main focus when participants were asked to describe their lives. The …

A Mixed Methods Case Study Exploring The Outcomes Of Implementing A Digital Learning Management System In A Fourth Grade Language Arts Classroom, Sarah C. Mayberry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Classrooms of today are in continual flux and state and local mandates are constantly reforming the curriculum in order to help prepare students to compete in a global society; in addition, advancements in technology have greatly impacted today’s students and how they learn as well as the way teachers instruct. As educators, we need to recognize what our students need to become successful citizens in today’s society, which often requires students to be critical evaluators of various types of information and requires them to become literate across a wide range of literacies. Not only is it critical that classroom teachers …

The Caring Beliefs And Practices Of Effective Teachers, Barbara D. Mccollum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current educational reform tends to emphasize an impersonal test-driven approach to teaching while the present research maintains this reform is inequitable because it neglects the personal component of teacher caring, which is necessary to reach all students, especially disaffected underachievers. The purpose of the present multi-case study was to determine the caring beliefs and practices of six effective teachers in two Title I Elementary schools in a central Georgia school system, how these beliefs and practices manifested in the classroom, and in what ways the teachers’ beliefs and practices may have been influenced by their own cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds …

Chaos Theory, Theology, And Curriculum: Striving Towards The Impossibility Of The Gift, Thomas B. Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It was once thought that small influences could not have a large impact on a grand scale. However, in the 1960s Edward Lorenz discovered that very small disturbances in weather conditions could have a great effect on huge weather systems. With an understanding of chaos theory, which posits that everything matters, I argue that a life based on the lessons of a theology inspired by postmodernism can provide a lens through which to see and act in this chaotic world. By living by this belief, the ability to give the true gift, which is an impossibility and is always to …

Instructional Technology Integration And Situational Interest In Math, James A. Thompson Iv

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Motivating students to be engaged in learning, especially in math, has been a perennial challenge for educators. Over the past 20 years, instructional technology has become an increasingly prevalent teaching tool that, according to many educational observers and researchers, can have a transformative effect on teaching and learning because of the way that it engages today’s students. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the relationship between students’ perceptions of technology integration and situational interest in middle school math so that educational planners will be better informed when making instructional decisions concerning the use of technology in the …