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Full-Text Articles in Education
Factors Contributing To The Success Of Students In An Alternative Learning Center With An Online Curriculum: A Multiple Case Study, Heather Amanda Clay
Factors Contributing To The Success Of Students In An Alternative Learning Center With An Online Curriculum: A Multiple Case Study, Heather Amanda Clay
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to discover the factors which contribute to the success of students in alternative learning centers with online curriculums in Central Virginia. The main theory guiding this study was Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory as it proposes that learning occurs in social environments through an interaction with people, the environment, and behavior. Self-regulation theory was also used as it posits that learners are active participants in the learning process. The central question guiding this study was: What factors contribute to the success of students in an alternative learning center with an online …
The Relationship Between College Student Attitudes Towards Online Learning Based On Reading Self-Efficacy, Ethnicity, And Age, Felecia Edwards
The Relationship Between College Student Attitudes Towards Online Learning Based On Reading Self-Efficacy, Ethnicity, And Age, Felecia Edwards
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The convenience of online programs has revolutionized education to make it available for more people interested in seeking to further their education. Students enrolling into various online, higher education programs have different aptitudes and factors that play a role in their experiences and successful completion of the program. The study aims to determine relationships between factors that may influence the students’ attitudes towards online programs. The factors include reading self-efficacy, ethnicity, and the age of the college students. The present study examines these relationships between self-reported self-efficacy, ethnicity, and age, as related to attitudes toward online learning. The participants consisted …
Secondary Student Experiences With Mandatory Enrollment In North Carolina Virtual Public School Courses: A Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study, Damion Lewis
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study was to describe secondary student experiences within mandatorily assigned online courses using the North Carolina Virtual Public Schools (NCVPS) platform. Bandura’s (1986) social cognitive theory provided a lens to explore this phenomenon. Specifically, the study was guided by the central research question: What are the experiences of secondary students who are required to take online courses using NCVPS? Student participants were selected from two low-performing high schools in northeastern North Carolina. Data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and document analysis. Accordingly, data was analyzed through the process of immersion: continually reading, …
Comparing Active Duty And Transitional Military Veteran Students' Evaluation Of Online Distance Higher Education Learning Environments, Sherry Crissman
Comparing Active Duty And Transitional Military Veteran Students' Evaluation Of Online Distance Higher Education Learning Environments, Sherry Crissman
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Active duty service members’ participation in non-traditional higher education designed for veterans and other non-traditional adults can be uniquely impacted by their unpredictable military schedules, geographic instability, and frequently limited access to technology needed to complete course requirements while in remote areas. The purpose of this study was to examine whether active duty undergraduates differed significantly regarding their attitudes toward distance learning and their perceptions of the distance learning environment compared to veterans and non-traditional adults. This causal comparative study examined adult students’ perceptions after participating in 200-level undergraduate education delivered online at a private four-year institution based on their …
The Effect Of Blended Learning On Math And Reading Achievement In A Charter School Context, Terry Chaney
The Effect Of Blended Learning On Math And Reading Achievement In A Charter School Context, Terry Chaney
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
In spite of its growing popularity, researchers have focused little attention on the effectiveness of combining traditional classroom instruction and online learning, a practice generally referred to as blended learning. The modest research on blended learning to date has tended to focus on higher education, leaving a significant gap in the research regarding K-12 education. Even less attention has been given to blended learning in charter school K-12 education. Framed within Vygotsky’s theory of social development, the purpose of this causal-comparative research study was to determine if there were any significant differences when comparing charter school students who participated in …
The Impact Of Blended Learning On Social Presence, Cognitive Presence, Teaching Presence, And Perceived Learning, Kyleigh Harrell
The Impact Of Blended Learning On Social Presence, Cognitive Presence, Teaching Presence, And Perceived Learning, Kyleigh Harrell
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The quantitative study examined how blended learning influences high school learners’ social presence, cognitive presence, teacher presence, and perceived learning in comparison to online instruction. The study answered the following research questions: (a) Do differences exist among the social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence of high school students enrolled in a blended course as compared to those enrolled in an online course? (b) Does a difference exist between perceived learning of high school students enrolled in a blended course as compared to that of those enrolled in an online course? The researcher used a causal-comparative research design and tested …
Change Leadership Practices For Effective Implementation Of Alternative Breakthrough Models In Blended And Online Learning At Select K-12 Schools: A Phenomenological Study, Jason Haas
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover what change leadership practices are utilized by educational leaders at selected K-12 schools when alternative breakthrough models in blended and online education are implemented. Using a phenomenological approach, I explored three public schools, two private schools, two charter schools, and two virtual schools. The 10 participants in this study were either heads of school, district superintendents, or department principals. The central research question was: What are the lived experiences of K-12 educational leaders who are implementing alternative breakthrough models of blended and online learning? Data was obtained via the following methods: …
Differences In Students' Satisfaction Of The Economics And Personal Finance Virtual High School Course Between Students Attending Economically Disadvantaged And Non-Economically Disadvantaged Schools In Virginia Id: 11707, Lhe Smith
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Virtual learning is a mandated high school graduation requirement for students entering high school during the 2013 school year in the state of Virginia. The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to analyze the differences of perceived overall satisfaction of high school students enrolled in a virtual course in different socioeconomic status schools, as measured by the e-Learning Student Satisfaction (ELS) instrument. The study participants were high school students enrolled in an Economics and Personal Finance virtual/online high school course in Virginia, n = 249. The study utilized a one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to determine if there …
Blended Learning: Perspectives From First Time High School Instructors, Tammy Parlier
Blended Learning: Perspectives From First Time High School Instructors, Tammy Parlier
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this collective case study was to understand the transitional experiences of first time instructors, teaching a blended learning course at three separate high school sites. Blended learning is defined as inquiry that combines both face-to-face and online modalities (Halverson, Graham, Spring, & Drysdale, 2012). This unique merger between both traditional face-to-face instruction and innovative online learning creates transition and change experiences for instructors as they adapt their practice to satisfy the requirements of the blended learning environment (Guskey, 1986). Data collected through individual interviews, reflective journals, observations, and a culminating focus group interview examined these experiences in …
Connected In Isolation: A Correlational Study Of Students' Sense Of Connectedness In An Online Course And Their Learning Outcomes, Ben Morrell
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this quantitative, bivariate correlational study is to understand the relationship between online high school students’ sense of connectedness in the course, as measured by the Online Student Connectedness Survey (OSCS) and the students’ standardized End of Course (EOC) Milestone scores. A review of literature revealed a lack of research on high school students and their perception of connection in their online course as it relates to their academic success. The independent variable for the study is the students’ sense of connectedness score as derived from the Online Student Connectedness Score (OSCS). The dependent variable for the study …
Effects Of Traditional And Online Instructional Models On Student Achievement Outcomes, Vanessa Wrenn
Effects Of Traditional And Online Instructional Models On Student Achievement Outcomes, Vanessa Wrenn
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Although virtual education options have rapidly expanded in recent years, little academic research has examined the effectiveness of these courses. Furthermore, little research has been conducted at the secondary school level for public school students. Policymakers and school leaders need reliable research in order to make informed decisions about online learning and to implement programs, which add value to the quality of instruction and provide students with the support they need to be successful. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of instructional model on student achievement for public high school English II students. The high school …
Instructor Interaction As It Relates To Facilitation Of Spiritual Development Within An Evangelical Institution: A Case Study, Joseph Butler
Instructor Interaction As It Relates To Facilitation Of Spiritual Development Within An Evangelical Institution: A Case Study, Joseph Butler
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this qualitative case study is to understand the impact of instructor interaction on the facilitation of spiritual development in an online environment for undergraduate non-religion majors attending a distinctively evangelical university. The qualitative case study shadows and evaluates three sections of a required introductory religion course. Over the period of one academic term, the following online interactions were observed in order to gauge potential facilitation of spiritual development: announcements, emails, forums, assignment feedback, and course content. An interview was conducted with the instructor following the course to understand how they engaged the course and their perspective in …