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Full-Text Articles in Education

Common Attributes Among Highly Effective Middle School Teachers, Stacey Dejean-Bowie Apr 2022

Common Attributes Among Highly Effective Middle School Teachers, Stacey Dejean-Bowie

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Effective classroom management and delivery of quality classroom instruction is a complex task that every teacher has to face. It is not enough to have well thought out, planned lessons. To be a highly effective teacher, an educator must inspire, motivate and captivate their students all while delivering quality information and rigorous assignments that equip students with the skills and abilities needed in the twenty-first century. At the heart of student achievement is effective teaching. A teacher's effectiveness has been traditionally measured by the level of classroom control, delivery of quality instruction, and student achievement scores. Classroom management has consistently …


Mobile Learning Among Students In A Private, Title I High School: A Phenomenological Study, George Lasley Iii Apr 2022

Mobile Learning Among Students In A Private, Title I High School: A Phenomenological Study, George Lasley Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the perceived impact of using mobile learning to improve the academic achievements of low-income, private high school students. My Christian faith and emphasis on students’ educational development were strong contributors to the study’s purpose. The theory guiding this study was the technology acceptance model. This framework helped explore the perceived impact that mobile learning had among low-income, private high school students. The central question was: What is the lived experience of low-income, private high school students using mobile technology in class? Subquestions were used to explore the academic, personal, and social …


Music Is The Intervention: The Intersections Of Music As A Therapeutic Activity In At-Risk Youth, Gladys H. Gonzalez Landaverde Apr 2022

Music Is The Intervention: The Intersections Of Music As A Therapeutic Activity In At-Risk Youth, Gladys H. Gonzalez Landaverde

Senior Honors Theses

Across the United States, public schools face many discrepancies in the quality and caliber of education that a student can expect to receive. While schools try to address the vast needs of students, many children and adolescents are unfortunately faced with choosing between prioritizing their education and the circumstances faced outside of the school day. The discrepancies in schooling range from the quality in the commonly accepted core curriculum like English and mathematics to the opportunities offered outside of traditional academia like music. Unfortunately, at-risk students are unlikely to have access to music education in the same ease as their …


The Music Bluetooth Controller: An Intersection Between Technology And Music, Lydia Wu Apr 2022

The Music Bluetooth Controller: An Intersection Between Technology And Music, Lydia Wu

Senior Honors Theses

The modern musician faces a new challenge: how can technology be used to enhance a performance? This thesis documents the development of a Bluetooth remote controller that will aid today’s performing musicians by interacting with a digital display (e.g., an iPad) to flip musical score pages remotely. At its core, while mimicking a Bluetooth pedal (the current industry standard), this device attaches to the musician’s hand. In its pilot stages, the device has been referred to “MBC” (Music Bluetooth Controller).


Oral History: A Tool For The Elementary And Middle Classroom, Jessica Keiser Apr 2022

Oral History: A Tool For The Elementary And Middle Classroom, Jessica Keiser

Senior Honors Theses

Modern historical instruction requires educators to cover broad expanses of history and prepare students for standardized testing. In the push to meet state standards and cover the vast curriculum in short periods of time, many educators have begun to teach to the textbook. Much to the detriment of students, this educational practice has favored periodization and content quantity over the development of crucial historical skills. Rather than adhering to popular education trends, teachers can consider implementing oral history projects within their elementary and middle school classrooms. Oral history is a methodology that employs first-hand accounts to teach about key historical …


The Experiences Of Elementary School Teachers Teaching In A Virtual Learning Program Who Have Established Presence In The Classroom: A Phenomenological Study In The Southeastern U.S., Amy Tyler Stevenson Apr 2022

The Experiences Of Elementary School Teachers Teaching In A Virtual Learning Program Who Have Established Presence In The Classroom: A Phenomenological Study In The Southeastern U.S., Amy Tyler Stevenson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the shared experiences of teachers who have established presence in online classrooms after transitioning from face-to-face to online elementary classrooms in a virtual program developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The theory guiding this study was the community of inquiry (CoI) framework, developed by Garrison et al., as it specifically relates to distance and online learning and provides a context for research. In this qualitative study, data was collected through interviews, documentation, and a focus group with 11 online teachers (OT) representing several grade levels in an online program. Data was …


Perspectives Of Elementary Teachers, Counselors And Administrators On Restorative Practices In Elementary Schools: A Phenomenological Study, Aundrea Denise Smiley Apr 2022

Perspectives Of Elementary Teachers, Counselors And Administrators On Restorative Practices In Elementary Schools: A Phenomenological Study, Aundrea Denise Smiley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the implementation experiences and practices of restorative justice in education whose goal is to improve social-emotional skills, as well as reduce suspension rates among students, for K-5 elementary teachers, counselors and administrators at one elementary school in Virginia. This study examined the phenomena of restorative justice practices in schools and experiences of those involved. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s social learning theory. The central research question to be addressed was: What are the experiences of teachers, counselors and administrators with restorative justice practices in elementary school as it …


A Case Study Investigating Teachers' Use Of Strategies To Address Anxiety Toward Reading In First-Grade And Second-Grade Students, Sherri Friddle Swaim Mar 2022

A Case Study Investigating Teachers' Use Of Strategies To Address Anxiety Toward Reading In First-Grade And Second-Grade Students, Sherri Friddle Swaim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to investigate what strategies teachers are using to address reading anxiety in first and second graders. Reading anxiety can affect a person behaviorally, socially, and academically. Bandura’s social cognitive theory and self-efficacy theory guided this study, as they showed how behavior, environment, cognition, and self-efficacy could influence reading anxiety. Bandura also stated that cognition affected performance and that self-efficacy dealt with a student’s determination in the performance. The central research question asked, How are teachers addressing reading anxiety in the classroom? The participants in this study were first-grade and second-grade teachers who …


Trinitarian Informed Creativity To Promote Peace And Learning In The Classroom, Lisa S. Sosin Jan 2022

Trinitarian Informed Creativity To Promote Peace And Learning In The Classroom, Lisa S. Sosin

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.


Commercial Violin: Creating A Hybrid Twenty-First Century Collegiate Violin Curriculum, Ryan Joseph Ogrodny Dec 2021

Commercial Violin: Creating A Hybrid Twenty-First Century Collegiate Violin Curriculum, Ryan Joseph Ogrodny

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the stylistically diverse professional music opportunities available to twenty-first century violinists, modern collegiate violin students are most often exclusively trained through traditional classical pedagogy. Conversely, violinists who perform commercial music often do not experience formal classical training, which provides functional foundational skills required of the professional violinist. There has yet to be a collegiate violin curriculum developed that incorporates elements of both classical and commercial music, allowing for diverse musical opportunities through structured and sequential pedagogy. This qualitative research study identifies, examines, and compares current classical and commercial collegiate violin methodologies simultaneously as a framework for the development of …


"Read It Again!": Storytelling To Imitate The Great Teacher, Kate Whatley Nov 2021

"Read It Again!": Storytelling To Imitate The Great Teacher, Kate Whatley

Senior Honors Theses

The student’s mind is bent on stories, asking mothers around the world to ‘read it again’. These stories preserve information and emotions for centuries. In the classroom, stories enliven motivation and empathy in ways that result in higher academic achievement and social awareness. Learning to use stories as a key instructional strategy will allow for more equitable opportunities in classrooms, encourage mental health and truth telling for the teacher and the student collectively, and allow the academic community to imitate Christ by contributing to the bigger story taking place across time. In application of using stories as teachers, this thesis …


Challenges That Clergy In Small Black Churches Face In The 21st Century During The Covid Pandemic, Samuel Paul Oct 2021

Challenges That Clergy In Small Black Churches Face In The 21st Century During The Covid Pandemic, Samuel Paul

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Leadership plays a critical role in any institution. Church leadership can guide the institution in the direction that it should go. In Small Black Churches (SBC), this research will identify the strategic leadership styles used in handling challenges. The intent is to identify the effectiveness of these styles in managing challenges in the 21st century church and their effect on personal leadership fulfillment. The study will interview pastors of local churches who had seminary training and those who did not. This author intends to record and transcribe the interviews for research purposes. By identifying the interviewees' leadership styles, the researcher …


A Phenomenological Study Of High School Academic Subject Teachers’ Experiences Differentiating For English Language Learners, Valerie Jean Campbell Sep 2021

A Phenomenological Study Of High School Academic Subject Teachers’ Experiences Differentiating For English Language Learners, Valerie Jean Campbell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of core academic subject high school teachers with differentiating instruction and assessment for English language learners (ELLs) in central Virginia. Two theories provided the theoretical framework for this study including the socio-cultural theory by Lev Vygotsky (1978) and the social cognitive theory by Albert Bandura (1989). These two theories explain learning as an interaction of social and cultural experiences between teacher and student and address the role of efficacy in teacher expertise. The central research question that guided this study was “How do select high school academic content …


The Impact Of National Board Teacher Certification On School Capacity, Sandra Kaye Michels Sep 2021

The Impact Of National Board Teacher Certification On School Capacity, Sandra Kaye Michels

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this ex post facto causal-comparative study is to examine whether a greater number of National Board certified teachers on a school staff has an effect on school-wide standardized assessment outcomes. National Board teacher certification has been examined by researchers as a potential school improvement initiative to address persistent gaps in achievement as measured by state-mandated standardized assessments. The impact of National Board teacher certification on student outcomes has been examined at the individual classroom level and at the statewide level through analysis of scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). This study explored the impact …


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 …


Re-Imagining Christian Education For Millennials In An African American Pentecostal Assemblies Context, Kevin Louis Campbell May 2021

Re-Imagining Christian Education For Millennials In An African American Pentecostal Assemblies Context, Kevin Louis Campbell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

It seems many Christian Pentecostal churches are struggling to disciple and retain a millennial population. According to a recent Gallup Poll, 57% of religious millennials have church membership, and this represents the lowest percentage among current generations as overall church membership and participation trends downward from 76% in 1948 to 52% in 2018 (Jones, 2019). The factors contributing to the poll must be explored both from outside and inside of the church. One may wonder if the church is providing the proper education and training to attract and retain millennials. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study research design …


The Music Making Family: A Music Class For All Ages, Jordan Lee Slater May 2021

The Music Making Family: A Music Class For All Ages, Jordan Lee Slater

Masters Theses

Whereas music both unlocks and fuels devotion as well as strengthens mental faculties, whereas teamwork and shared experiences deepen familial bonds, whereas the Bible is the root of all knowledge and wisdom, the need for The Music Making Family has arisen. Colossians 3:16 states, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” The purpose of this qualitative study is to provide teachers, whether in private school, public school, a religious entity, in a standalone studio, instructional material for …


Music And Autism Spectrum Disorder: Possible Effects On The Autistic Mind, Alexandra L. Ferro May 2021

Music And Autism Spectrum Disorder: Possible Effects On The Autistic Mind, Alexandra L. Ferro

Masters Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a known neurological disorder that directly affects an individual's ability to communicate and interact with others; ASD is diagnosed within the first three years of life. One of the most common forms of therapy or interventions used is music. Music incorporation can change in a format such as learning a specific instrument, singing, or simply dancing to promote physical activity to help brain stimulation and process the overall musical experience. Music has been a commonly used therapy or intervention for children diagnosed with ASD dating back to the mid-1940s. Those diagnosed with ASD have difficulty …


Poetry Beyond The Page: A Case For Spoken Word Poetry In Florida's Secondary Classrooms, Sarah Matherly Apr 2021

Poetry Beyond The Page: A Case For Spoken Word Poetry In Florida's Secondary Classrooms, Sarah Matherly

Senior Honors Theses

Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards, Florida’s most recent K-12 educational standards to promote literacy, lack the rising art of Spoken Word Poetry. However, Florida’s Department of Education should integrate Spoken Word into Florida’s Secondary curriculum. Spoken Word Poetry, by its definition, holds researched benefits that align with the B.E.S.T. Standard’s poetry recommendations and literacy-centered goals. In light of such benefits, Florida’s Department of Education should consider various Spoken Word poets and poems to include in Florida’s Secondary Curriculum, as well as explore the resources and integration methods included in this thesis for both teachers and students.


Teacher Attitudes Toward Personalized Learning Plans, Micah R. Hayre Mar 2021

Teacher Attitudes Toward Personalized Learning Plans, Micah R. Hayre

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The aim of this research was to analyze Vermont K-8 teachers’ attitudes toward student personalized learning plans with respect to the independent variable of years of personalized learning plans implementation. This was an important study because personalization has become the new trend in Vermont education. The purpose of this study was to bridge a gap in the literature and research surrounding teacher attitudes toward personalized learning plan implementation. Personalized learning plans were being used as a pathway to high school graduation. Determining the attitudes of teachers toward this initiative seemed reasonable given the upswing of this recent trend in education. …


A Spectrum Of Tech: An Integrated Literature Review Of Technologies To Target Social Skills In Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Taylor Caldwell Dec 2020

A Spectrum Of Tech: An Integrated Literature Review Of Technologies To Target Social Skills In Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Taylor Caldwell

Senior Honors Theses

Students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often have limited social or communication skills and, thus, need extra assistance in learning when and how to engage in appropriate interactions with those around them. However, because there are several different individual skills (e.g., joint attention, emotional expression, etc.) that fall under the categories of social and communication skills, and there are even more options of devices and programs to choose from within assistive technology (AT) and instructional technology (IT), it may seem daunting to find the right technology to meet a specific child’s needs and to determine whether that technology procedures lasting …


Arts Education: Benefits, Disparities, And Reaching For Equal Access, Madelaine Shreeman Nov 2020

Arts Education: Benefits, Disparities, And Reaching For Equal Access, Madelaine Shreeman

Senior Honors Theses

Arts education is a unique way to engage students. The arts include, but are not limited to, music, theatre, visual/studio arts, poetry, and dance; they are powerful bridges for students to knowledge and classroom contribution. They assist students with lower academic achievement, problematic behavior, or those who have a likelihood of dropping out of school. While there are plenty of resources displaying the student benefits, there remain inequalities in access to arts education among students across America. Often, areas and schools that generally receive fewer opportunities or less arts funding are ones with more at-risk youth. Disproportionate arts access negatively …


Online Learning: Educational Motivation Through Facetime, Kaylee Adelsberger Nov 2020

Online Learning: Educational Motivation Through Facetime, Kaylee Adelsberger

Senior Honors Theses

Digital learning presents challenges, one of which is the ability to motivate students. Elementary students can be motivated through intrinsic and extrinsic means, and it is important that teachers and digital learning mediums such as Google Classroom and Zoom work to motivate students in order to help them learn. Individualized attention provided by the teacher motivates students. Students’ are motivated by individualized attention provided to them by the teacher as well as Social Cognitive Theory, noting the importance of watching interactions with other students. The attention can vary from a one-on-one conversation or a personalized comment. Students are also motivated …


How The Mattering Experience Of Latino High School Students Impacts Persistence To Graduation: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Paulina Lee Collazo Navarro Oct 2020

How The Mattering Experience Of Latino High School Students Impacts Persistence To Graduation: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Paulina Lee Collazo Navarro

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand how the mattering experience of Latino students impacts their persistence to high school graduation. The study was aimed to establish a greater awareness of how the mattering experience impacts student success. The central research question was, How does the mattering experience impact Latino student persistence to high school graduation? This transcendental phenomenological study included a purposeful sample of 11 high school graduates within Mannaton County, Pennsylvania. Data collection and analysis included interviews, a focus group, and journal documents. Data analysis included data coding in order to establish themes. Additionally, direct …


The Plagiarism-Proof Policy Handbook: A Multidimensional-Systems Approach To Foster Student Writing Accountability And Prevent Plagiarism In College And University Classrooms, Cynthia D. Scott Sep 2020

The Plagiarism-Proof Policy Handbook: A Multidimensional-Systems Approach To Foster Student Writing Accountability And Prevent Plagiarism In College And University Classrooms, Cynthia D. Scott

Masters Theses

Academic integrity, ethical research, and proper documentation practices are key values emphasized within most post-secondary academic communities. To support positive student outcomes, colleges and universities use honor codes, policy measures, and plagiarism detection systems to deter plagiarism, believing that the above measures promote ethical behavior from the students who graduate from their institutions. This thesis first recommends a broader, environmentally focused approach which examines the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of the post-secondary educational setting within universities and colleges using systems theory and strengths theory. It then identifies some important plagiarism barriers and plagiarism enablers students encounter within each environmental …


Experiencing God: Engaging Elementary-Aged Children In Corporate Worship, Laura Rushing Hancock Sep 2020

Experiencing God: Engaging Elementary-Aged Children In Corporate Worship, Laura Rushing Hancock

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The engagement of children in meaningful worship has been neglected, despite the investment of modern churches in essential safety protocols and digital media in children’s ministry. The twenty-first-century consumerist mindset is driving worship design, essentially undermining the worship leader’s role as the shepherd of a child-centered and Christ-focused approach. Many churches are neglecting the biblical instruction to cast vision and express value for children’s corporate worship. A sense of awe and wonder is notably absent in many corporate services designed for children. Drawing upon biblical principles, educational theory, and corporate worship practices throughout history, this qualitative historical study seeks to …


Evaluating The Utilization Of A Combination Therapy To Improve Self-Efficacy And Glycemic Control In Patients With Type Two Diabetes Mellitus And Low Health Literacy, Crystal Manus Masling Jul 2020

Evaluating The Utilization Of A Combination Therapy To Improve Self-Efficacy And Glycemic Control In Patients With Type Two Diabetes Mellitus And Low Health Literacy, Crystal Manus Masling

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a significant health issue, as it requires patients to perform daily self-management activities. One in every three Americans with Type 2 diabetes has limited or low health literacy skills. Limited or low health literacy skills can impact a patient’s overall health outcome; therefore, a critical element for disease management and patient adherence is health literacy. The purpose of this three-month scholarly project was to determine if the utilization of an educational intervention specific to one’s level of health literacy, combined with a short message service reinforcement tool, could improve glycemic control and self-efficacy in Type …


Love Your Neighbor: An Educational Strategy To Cultivate Compassion In Adolescent Males, James Allan Benson Jr Jun 2020

Love Your Neighbor: An Educational Strategy To Cultivate Compassion In Adolescent Males, James Allan Benson Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

When challenged to identify the greatest commandment in the Law, Jesus Christ famously included “love your neighbor” in his response, making love foundational for all followers of Christ. Compassion is a key element that serves to demonstrate biblical love; sadly, today’s culture often minimizes or discourages compassion. In ten years of chaplaincy at the secondary school level, this author has seen too many Christian young men finish their high school journey without a foundation in love through compassion. This thesis project will utilize existing resources for academic and biblical research, as well as interviews of 25 high school males, to …


A Phenomenological Study That Examined The Experiences Of High School Teachers Who Build Supportive Classroom Environments That Encourage African-American Students To Graduate, Tressa D. Matthews Apr 2020

A Phenomenological Study That Examined The Experiences Of High School Teachers Who Build Supportive Classroom Environments That Encourage African-American Students To Graduate, Tressa D. Matthews

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions and lived experiences of high school teachers who have created supportive classroom environments that encourage African-American students to graduate. The theory guiding this study was the self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2008) as it explains the psychological needs of students to encourage persistence toward high school graduation. The central question guided the research in describing the experiences of high school teachers who have created a supportive classroom environment at high schools with high graduation rates for African-American students in Southeastern Michigan. The study sought to determine the experiences …


Causal-Comparative Study Of The Effects Of Classworks As A Tier Ii Intervention On Middle School Struggling Readers, Tammy Kamerik Small Apr 2020

Causal-Comparative Study Of The Effects Of Classworks As A Tier Ii Intervention On Middle School Struggling Readers, Tammy Kamerik Small

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to investigate the effects of ClassworksTM as a Tier II intervention on middle school struggling readers as part of a Response to Intervention system. This study sought to determine whether the ClassworksTM intervention administered in a small group twice per week during a supplemental reading class would improve reading skills as measured by the MAP Growth Test after 12 weeks. Two groups of students (Grades 6–8) from four middle schools in a suburban, South Carolina school district were used in the study. Archival data were analyzed with a Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) …