Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Keyword
-
- College students (2)
- Differentiation (2)
- Physics Education Research (2)
- Physics education (2)
- Academic achievement (1)
-
- Academic success (1)
- Adolescent (1)
- Adult education (1)
- Assessment (1)
- Assessment and Teaching during COVID-19 (1)
- Assessment during COVID-19 (1)
- Assessment in Maine during COVID-19 (1)
- At-risk students (1)
- Biology (1)
- Boltzmann factor (1)
- Carnot cycle (1)
- Case study (1)
- Cell (1)
- Challenges faced by school returners (1)
- Chemistry education (1)
- Children's literature (1)
- Children's literature criticism (1)
- Children's literature study and teaching (1)
- Circuits (1)
- College student mobility Maine (1)
- Collegial relationships (1)
- Community colleges (1)
- Computer Science (1)
- Content knowledge (1)
- Contextual understanding (1)
Articles 1 - 30 of 31
Full-Text Articles in Education
Regenerating Professional Learning: The Influence Of Relationships On Teacher Identity, Agency, And Advocacy, Todd W. Mckinley
Regenerating Professional Learning: The Influence Of Relationships On Teacher Identity, Agency, And Advocacy, Todd W. Mckinley
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Professional development for teachers gained more attention with the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 2001. However, reform efforts spurred by this act focused mainly on training for specific programs and curriculum materials, resulting in little attention to instruction. In the last thirty or more years, new approaches to professional development have emerged, with teacher leadership, in particular, gaining more attention in studies as an important mechanism for reforming classroom practice to raise student achievement. Research has mainly examined collaborative frameworks to sustain teacher growth through professional learning communities situated within the context of schools and …
Investigating The Teaching And Assessment Experiences Of Maine Secondary Science Teachers During The Covid-19 Lockdown, Anupam Raj
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
In March 2020, an unexpected event changed the educational systems throughout the world. In the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic caused public places to close down, including schools. To continue education, schools in Maine went online. This study describes how Maine secondary science teachers taught and assessed their students while teaching remotely for the first time during the lockdown. It does so by investigating teachers’ perspectives about the impact on their students, how they handled the issue of equity, their new priorities and expectations, their teaching and assessment challenges, and their successful strategies during the initial phase of the lockdown. …
Agency Of In-Service Elementary Science Teachers During A Global Pandemic, Anica Miller-Rushing
Agency Of In-Service Elementary Science Teachers During A Global Pandemic, Anica Miller-Rushing
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
In-service teachers of science work with unique content and pedagogical experiences. Understanding teacher agency in these circumstances will help researchers understand the actions that these teachers take, actions that are consequential for shaping teaching patterns and supporting the development of students’ scientific practices. The purpose of this study was to understand how the agency of six elementary (K–5) in-service teachers was expressed discursively during a global pandemic. The teachers’ agency was qualitatively analyzed using a case study approach (Yin, 2012, 2017) that applied discourse analysis to identify the ways in which science teacher agency is conceptualized, afforded, and constrained through …
A Quantitative Study Of Mathematics Anxiety In First-Generation Pre-Service Teachers, Wendi Malenfant
A Quantitative Study Of Mathematics Anxiety In First-Generation Pre-Service Teachers, Wendi Malenfant
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Many pre-service teachers suffer from mathematics anxiety which can lead to mathematics avoidance, poor mathematics performance, and the potential to pass on mathematics anxiety to their future students. More and more first-generation college students, who also suffer from math anxiety, are attending four-year universities and studying to be teachers. School leaders, educators, and researchers must recognize the serious nature of mathematics anxiety, how it negatively impacts learners, and how the cycle is perpetuated if the root causes of mathematics anxiety are not mitigated, especially in elementary teachers.
This quantitative study, which utilized an anonymous mathematics anxiety survey, examined the prevalence …
Investigating The Attitudes, Beliefs And Practices Of High School Chemistry Teachers Regarding The Differentiation Of Instruction, Anna Tyrina
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Differentiation of instruction (DI) is a broad term used for a group of pedagogical tools that teachers use to individualize instruction for students of different abilities and needs. Differentiation of instruction is a practice that has been researched and characterized to have a variety of instructional benefits, some of which include increased student motivation and engagement (Tomlinson, 2001). This study sought to characterize the attitudes, beliefs, and practices of ten high school chemistry teachers in Maine regarding the differentiation of instruction. Through a phenomenological approach, interviews with these teachers were analyzed to understand how high school chemistry teachers define differentiated …
First-Year Computer Science Students: Pathways And Perceptions In Introductory Computer Science Courses, Christina A. Leblanc
First-Year Computer Science Students: Pathways And Perceptions In Introductory Computer Science Courses, Christina A. Leblanc
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This study examined student perceptions and experiences of an introductory Computer Science course at the University of Maine; COS 125: Introduction to Problem Solving Using Computer Programs. It also explored the pathways that students pursue after taking COS 125, depending on their success in the course, and their motivation to persist. Through characterizing student populations and their performance in their first semester in the Computer Science program, they can be placed into one of three categories that explain their path; a “continuer” (passed COS 125 and decided to stay in the major), a “persister” (did not pass COS 125 and …
Investigating The Intersections Of Interpersonal Violence: Identifying Risk And Protective Factors For Hazing, Kayla E. Goodwin
Investigating The Intersections Of Interpersonal Violence: Identifying Risk And Protective Factors For Hazing, Kayla E. Goodwin
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Building on the work of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s initiative to investigate the links between multiple forms of violence, this study used a “review-of-reviews” qualitative approach, a form of meta-analysis, to illuminate the intersections of sexual violence and hazing. Data were analyzed to uncover the risk and protective factors for hazing. These findings were then compared to the risk and protective factors for sexual violence to investigate any intersections, broadening the research about the intersecting forms of interpersonal violence. Eleven risk factors for hazing were identified, four of which intersect with previously identified risk factors for sexual …
Examining The Relationship Between A Universal Screening Measure And A State Reading Assessment, Karen G. Smith
Examining The Relationship Between A Universal Screening Measure And A State Reading Assessment, Karen G. Smith
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Many adolescents struggle with reading comprehension, despite an emphasis on reading instruction over recent decades. Evidence suggests that informational text is particularly challenging for students. To implement assessments within a multi-tiered framework, schools must have psychometrically adequate tools. Universal screening data can be useful when identifying at-risk students in need of intervention.
Using data of 473 students in Grades 6 through 8 from two Western Maine middle schools, this study examined the relationship between the Northwest Evaluation Association’s Measures of Academic Progress in Reading (NWEA MAP-R) and Maine’s eMPowerME English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA/L) test by Measured Progress. Logistic regression models …
Teachers' Professional Knowledge And Formative Assessment Practices: An Empirical Study From Middle School Earth Science Instruction In The Context Of An Education Improvement Community, Laura Millay
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
While there is widespread agreement that effective formative assessment supports student learning in science, the knowledge teachers need in order assess learning remains sparsely studied. In 1999, Magnusson, Krajcik, and Borko (MKB) proposed that Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK, Shulman 1986, 1987) is a distinct knowledge domain that synthesizes three base domains that include science subject matter, pedagogy, and context. The MKB model identified Assessment Knowledge as one of five components of PCK. Since 1999, several studies have used the MKB framework, but have left Assessment Knowledge underdefined. In 2012, Avargil, Herscovitz, and Dori proposed a revision based on empirical study, …
Understanding Student Development Of Science Literacy Skills In An Undergraduate Environmental Science Course, Molly Picillo
Understanding Student Development Of Science Literacy Skills In An Undergraduate Environmental Science Course, Molly Picillo
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Educators are expected to instill a variety of skills in their students that are necessary to be competent citizens of society. One such set of skills, science literacy skills, broadly encompass the ability of an individual to evaluate reliability of data and information and critically analyze and interpret them (Gormally Brickman, Hallar, & Armstrong, 2009). These skills are utilized in everyday decision-making and given their pertinence, there is a need for citizens to be scientifically literate. Thus, educators need tools and assessments to help students develop these skills and analyze their science literacy. The aim of this study was to …
Teacher Performance Evaluation And Professional Growth In The Era Of "Educator Effectiveness" In Maine, Jonathan E. Doty
Teacher Performance Evaluation And Professional Growth In The Era Of "Educator Effectiveness" In Maine, Jonathan E. Doty
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Maine is one of many states that undertook reform to teacher supervision and evaluation in the wake of public attention (e.g., Waiting for Superman) and federal pressure (e.g., NCLB Flexibility Waivers). The Maine Legislature passed An Act to Ensure Effective Teaching and School Leadership (2012), shifting from local discretion to greater state influence on the functions of formative supervision and summative evaluation. As school districts created systems to meet the state’s mandates, they combined growth and employment functions and navigated persistent challenges described in the literature on evaluation and supervision.
The purpose of this study was to examine perspectives …
Contrast Dependent Knowledge Development In Contrast Supported Scientific Observation, Maura B. Foley
Contrast Dependent Knowledge Development In Contrast Supported Scientific Observation, Maura B. Foley
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Knowledge of contrasts between phenomena can influence how people think and reason about them, so learning contrasts is important in school science. Building knowledge through a process of construction is a common framework through which school science is taught. However, telling phenomena apart through differentiation also plays an important role in learning and may be underused as a teaching framework. An effective way to learn contrasts is to use them to perceptually differentiate similar-looking phenomena presented side-by-side. However, little is known about the persistence/usefulness of knowledge generated during perceptual differentiation over short periods of time and its usage in student …
Using Contrasting Cases To Build Metacognitive Knowledge About The Impact Of Salient Distracting Features In Physics Problems, Thanh K. Le
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Student reasoning on physics problems is often context dependent. A possible explanation is that salient distracting features (SDFs) in physics problems may cue students’ “spontaneous” reasoning. This cued reasoning is often accepted without question, even though it may be unproductive and may even preclude the use of relevant knowledge. One possible approach to address such reasoning difficulties is to strengthen students’ metacognitive skills, particularly their metacognitive knowledge. While metacognitive knowledge plays an important role in facilitating effective regulation, little is known about how to build student metacognitive knowledge. This dissertation explores the use of contrasting cases (e.g., a …
Investigating Student Learning Of Analog Electronics, Kevin L. Van De Bogart
Investigating Student Learning Of Analog Electronics, Kevin L. Van De Bogart
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Instruction in analog electronics is an integral component of many physics and engineering programs, and is typically covered in courses beyond the first year. While extensive research has been conducted on student understanding of introductory electric circuits, to date there has been relatively little research on student learning of analog electronics in either physics or engineering courses. Given the significant overlap in content of courses offered in both disciplines, this study seeks to strengthen the research base on the learning and teaching of electric circuits and analog electronics via a single, coherent investigation spanning both physics and engineering courses.
This …
A Qualitative Study Of Rural School Returners' Journeys To Secondary Credential Completion, Brenda Elaine Swan Gammon
A Qualitative Study Of Rural School Returners' Journeys To Secondary Credential Completion, Brenda Elaine Swan Gammon
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Dropping out of school has a negative impact on an individual’s life and a person’s ability to contribute to the country’s society and economy. Returning to schooling and obtaining a diploma or equivalent is fraught with obstacles. Many people try several times to complete the degree; fewer succeed. The plight of rural students including rural school returners is often overlooked because their problems are overshadowed by the problems of urban areas.
The purpose of this qualitative study, involving three extensive interviews of five rural school returners, was to build upon existing research on high school dropouts through the exploration of …
A Promising Candidate: An Exploration Of Graduate Matriculation Genres, Megan D. Bishop Gervais
A Promising Candidate: An Exploration Of Graduate Matriculation Genres, Megan D. Bishop Gervais
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This study emerges from the author’s personal experience of interacting with unfamiliar genres as she prepared her application for a graduate program in English. In a liminal space between graduating from her undergraduate program and applying for admission to a graduate program, her interaction with graduate admission genres was fraught with tension and a lack of the assumed knowledge that would inform her on how to strategically interact with these genres. This lack of tacit knowledge and absence of scaffolding lead her to compose a “statement of purpose” that did not adequately demonstrate that she was a “promising” graduate student, …
Thinking Beyond The Fried Egg Model: How Accurately Do Students Perceive Cells In A Living Context?, Milissa Knox
Thinking Beyond The Fried Egg Model: How Accurately Do Students Perceive Cells In A Living Context?, Milissa Knox
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This exploratory study investigated three aspects of introductory undergraduate biology students’ understanding about cells. The study, which took place at the University of Maine with voluntary students in Basic Biology (“BIO100”) in the summer and fall of 2009, examined (1) students’ pre-course perceptions of cells as they exist in a living context and (2) gains in students’ perception and knowledge about cells after completing the one-semester course (BIO100). Results are based on lecture exam scores, pre-post surveys developed as a part of this thesis, and interviews with two groups of biology students. A total of 498 students participated in the …
Do Relationships With Helpful And Not-Helpful Teachers Make A Difference? Perspectives From Nine At-Risk Adolescents, Emanuel Pariser
Do Relationships With Helpful And Not-Helpful Teachers Make A Difference? Perspectives From Nine At-Risk Adolescents, Emanuel Pariser
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Every year in the United States close to 25% of students fail to graduate with the classmates with whom they began high school. The economic, social and personal impact of not completing high school is staggering on the individual and society. The literature fails to adequately document relational factors in the classroom that can alter the academic trajectory of at-risk students. This dissertation explores how nine at-risk adolescents view the impact of relationships with helpful and not-helpful teachers on their academic success. My three research questions were: (a) what qualities do at-risk students attribute to helpful and not-helpful teachers; (b) …
Identifying And Addressing Specific Student Difficulties In Advanced Thermal Physics, Trevor I. Smith
Identifying And Addressing Specific Student Difficulties In Advanced Thermal Physics, Trevor I. Smith
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
As part of an ongoing multi-university research study on student understanding of concepts in thermal physics at the upper division, I identified several student difficulties with topics related to heat engines (especially the Carnot cycle), as well as difficulties related to the Boltzmann factor. In an effort to address these difficulties, I developed two guided-inquiry worksheet activities (a.k.a. tutorials) for use in advanced undergraduate thermal physics courses. Both tutorials seek to improve student understanding of the utility and physical background of a particular mathematical expression. One tutorial focuses on a derivation of Carnot's theorem regarding the limit on thermodynamic efficiency, …
Community College Student Participation In Undergraduate Research: An Explanatory Case Study For Faculty And Research Mentors, Dana L. Peterson
Community College Student Participation In Undergraduate Research: An Explanatory Case Study For Faculty And Research Mentors, Dana L. Peterson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This study adapted the current model of science undergraduate research experiences (URE's) and applied this novel modification to include community college students. Numerous researchers have examined the efficacy of URE's in improving undergraduate retention and graduation rates, as well as matriculation rates for graduate programs. However, none have detailed the experience for community college students, and few have employed qualitative methodologies to gather relevant descriptive data from URE participants. This study included perspectives elicited from both non-traditional student participants and the established laboratory community. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the traditional model for a …
Student Transfer: The Effect Of Timing On Academic Achievement, Michael D. Wing
Student Transfer: The Effect Of Timing On Academic Achievement, Michael D. Wing
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
America’s population is highly mobile. Some students move between school years, during the summer months, while others transfer after the school year has begun. Classrooms throughout the United States are likely to have students moving-in and transferring-out at any point; mobility occurs before, during, and after the school year begins. Research indicates that mobility has an effect on academic achievement. The major purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the timing of student transfer on academic achievement. Students who transferred Early (during the summer) and students who transferred Late (during the school year) were compared to those …
Evaluating Factors Contributing To Engineering Technology Students' Introductory Physics Experience, Daniel A. Reed
Evaluating Factors Contributing To Engineering Technology Students' Introductory Physics Experience, Daniel A. Reed
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The UMaine’s introductory algebra-based physics course PHY 107 is dedicated to students from the School of Engineering Technology (SET). These SET students come from a wide range of backgrounds and are studying a hybrid of curricula for an engineer and a technician with a leaning toward engineering. In order to appropriately serve this population we must attempt to understand who these students are. One of the legends surrounding this group is that their struggles with physics stem from having a lower level of mathematics ability than the typical introductory physics student. Through the use of a math diagnostic, the Force …
Investigating Student Understanding Of Sound As A Longitudinal Wave, Earl C. Coombs
Investigating Student Understanding Of Sound As A Longitudinal Wave, Earl C. Coombs
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The field of physics education research (PER) has highlighted the discrepancy between what is taught during traditional instruction in physics, and what students understand afterward. PER has also provided alternatives to traditional instruction that are research-based and have been shown to be more effective in bringing students’ level of understanding of physics more in line with that of the scientific community. One topic that has received attention is the propagation of sound. We confirmed that students in the introductory algebra-based and calculus-based physics courses at the University of Maine have difficulties with sound propagation similar to those documented by others. …
Measuring Student Understanding Of Density, With Geological Applications, Emily L. Klingler
Measuring Student Understanding Of Density, With Geological Applications, Emily L. Klingler
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Density is an important physical concept in all of science. Substantial education research on the teaching and learning of density has occurred in physics, chemistry, and biochemistry; there has been little education research about density in the earth sciences. This study investigates the extent to which targeted instruction influences student understanding of density, and the frequency and accuracy with which students apply it in explanations of earth science phenomena. All data for the study were collected from students in The Environmental Geology of Maine (ERS 102) at the University of Maine during the spring and fall 2004 and spring 2005 …
The Effect Of Mandatory Continuing Education On Practice Quality And Competency Of Professional Land Surveyors, Anthony Richard Vannozzi
The Effect Of Mandatory Continuing Education On Practice Quality And Competency Of Professional Land Surveyors, Anthony Richard Vannozzi
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Mandatory Continuing Education (MCE) has always been a "hot button" topic in the professions and land surveying is no exception. Though most other professions (i.e. medicine, education, accountancy, dentistry, nursing, etc.) have included scientifically based research as part of their debate on whether to make continuing education mandatory, no empirical studies in land surveying were found. Though the land surveying literature is replete with anecdotal discussions on the topic, (commentaries, editorials, policy statements, magazine articles, etc.), and tremendous energy is being expended within the land surveying profession in debating and making decisions regarding the MCE issue, the lack of hard …
Girls In The Woods: An Exploration Of The Impact Of A Wilderness Program On Adolescent Girls' Constructions Of Femininity, Anja Whittington
Girls In The Woods: An Exploration Of The Impact Of A Wilderness Program On Adolescent Girls' Constructions Of Femininity, Anja Whittington
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Historically, the wilderness and outdoor recreational activities have been portrayed as a masculine domain. In spite of this, women's participation in wilderness programs has increased, illustrating what research has proven-that women reap positive mental, physical, and spiritual outcomes from participating in outdoor experiences. Research on the benefits for female participants focuses primarily on women's experiences; however, little research investigates the outcomes of girls' participation. More specifically, the literature neglects the study of how participation in outdoor wilderness programs challenges conventional notions of femininity. The goal of this study was to 1) add girls' voices to the research on the outcomes …
Migration Of University Of Maine 2002 Graduates, Ewa Jadwiga Kleczyk
Migration Of University Of Maine 2002 Graduates, Ewa Jadwiga Kleczyk
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
In the context of today's tight labor market and increasing demand for highly skilled workers, Maine is considering how to attract and retain college graduates in the state. The educational system and economic opportunities such as the job market, wage levels, and taxes, as well as other factors impacting the migration trends of college graduates are evaluated. Understanding the patterns of educated people's relocation decisions, and the reasons influencing them, are concerns not just of government officials. Students with bachelor and advanced degrees are thought to be an asset to the community and the state since they add to the …
Factors Influencing Grade Six Students' Perceptions Of Teachers, Susan Smith Laplante
Factors Influencing Grade Six Students' Perceptions Of Teachers, Susan Smith Laplante
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Less than one percent of U.S. school districts have invited student feedback in the school improvement process (Matthews, 2000). Students have valuable perceptions of how teachers interact with them and these perceptions can be a usefbl tool to improve schools (Tyack & Cuban). The purpose of this study was to examine sixth grade students' perceptions of teachers and the relationship of these perceptions to achievement, gender, socioeconomic status and grade configurations. This study utilized sixth graders' responses to sixteen items selected fiom the Students Speak: My Education and My Future Aspirations survey developed at the National Center for Student Aspirations …
Perceived Attributes To The Development Of A Positive Self-Concept From The Experiences Of Adolescents With Learning Disabilities, Charles P. Bernacchio
Perceived Attributes To The Development Of A Positive Self-Concept From The Experiences Of Adolescents With Learning Disabilities, Charles P. Bernacchio
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The Perceived Attributes to Positive Self-concept Study examined the experiences of adolescents with learning disabilities to determine the ways in which living with a disability may have shaped their development of a positive self-concept. This study considered the perceptions held by adolescents themselves, their parents, and their teachers as valuably contributing to their own development of a positive self-concept. The research questions for the study included: "How does the experience of living with a disability affect the perceptions of adolescents with learning disabilities held by themselves, their parents and their . teachers? " "How do the experiences of living with …
Coherence And Historical Understanding In Children's Biography And Historical Nonfiction Literature: A Content Analysis Of Selected Orbis Pictus Books, Sandip Leeanne Wilson
Coherence And Historical Understanding In Children's Biography And Historical Nonfiction Literature: A Content Analysis Of Selected Orbis Pictus Books, Sandip Leeanne Wilson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to investigate a selection of children's historical nonfiction literature for evidence of coherence. Although research has been conducted on coherence of textbook material and its influences on comprehension there has been limited study on coherence in children's nonfiction literature. Generally, textual coherence has been seen as critical in the comprehensibility of content area textbooks because it concerns the unity of connections among ideas and information. Disciplinary coherence concerns the extent to which authors of historical text show readers how historians think and write. Since young readers are apprentices in learning historical content and conventions …