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A Correlational Study Of Teacher Practice Versus Belief, Christopher A. Heery Dec 2018

A Correlational Study Of Teacher Practice Versus Belief, Christopher A. Heery

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this research study was to examin the correlation between what kindergarten teachers identified as developmentally appropriate practices in kindergarten classrooms and what is included in their actual daily classroom practices. This quantitative research used a correlational research design to investigate the strength of the relationship between what teachers identied as their beliefs in developmentally appropriate practices for early childhood education and their self-reported use of developmentally appropriate practices within their own classrooms. The population included kindergarten teachers who currently teach in the northeastern counties of Pennsylvania. The participants completed an online survey developed for teachers of kindergarten …


Understanding The Experiences Of Middle School Social Studies Teachers Creating Personalized Learning Classrooms: A Phenomenological Study, Robert Lee Carlyle Iii Dec 2018

Understanding The Experiences Of Middle School Social Studies Teachers Creating Personalized Learning Classrooms: A Phenomenological Study, Robert Lee Carlyle Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine teachers’ experiences of implementing personalized learning in the social studies classroom at middle schools in Georgia. Personalized learning is the ability to tailor learning to each learner’s interest, strengths, and needs. The theory guiding this study is the discovery learning theory, which was introduced by Jerome Bruner. The central research question guiding the research was “How do middle school social studies teachers in Georgia describe their experiences creating personalized learning classrooms?” Sub-questions used to further refine the central question were: (1) How do teachers motivate students in the personalized learning …


Differences In High-School Student Learning By Instruction Type And Mbti Personality Type, Jeffrey R. Ober Dec 2018

Differences In High-School Student Learning By Instruction Type And Mbti Personality Type, Jeffrey R. Ober

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Differentiated instruction is a part of the education process today, and it is a time-consuming process used to attempt to reach more students and increase their learning and education. There is currently little empirical research dedicated to measuring the academic effects of differentiated instruction in the classroom. This research examined differentiated instruction in the form of learning styles (audio and visual) combined with personality types in an attempt to determine if there is a measurable significant effect on the academic achievement of students based on their own personality types and different applied learning styles in the classroom. No statistically significant …


Assessing Content Mastery: Using Quasi-Experimental Research To Study The Effect That Standards-Based Progress Reporting To Parents May Have On Student Achievement In Science At One Georgia Middle School, Matthew Scott Odell Dec 2018

Assessing Content Mastery: Using Quasi-Experimental Research To Study The Effect That Standards-Based Progress Reporting To Parents May Have On Student Achievement In Science At One Georgia Middle School, Matthew Scott Odell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With the establishment of standards-based testing as the key assessment of student knowledge gains and with the increased accountability first brought by No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and now with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the role of the teacher and the methods of assessment have continued to change. To reach the national goals established by NCLB and the state guidelines established to allow the states to guide education in the ESSA, the testing of students’ previous knowledge and the identification of their strengths has become important to show teachers how to meet their students’ needs. More empirical research …


High School Teachers’ Sense Of Efficacy: Traditional Teaching Vs. Teaching With A Learning Management System, Kelly Yolanda Backenstoe Dec 2018

High School Teachers’ Sense Of Efficacy: Traditional Teaching Vs. Teaching With A Learning Management System, Kelly Yolanda Backenstoe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Teacher efficacy has an impact on how students achieve in the classroom. There is a variety of ways teachers help students learn. For example, the method of traditional instruction includes the use of a textbook and teacher lectures. However, a current trend in education is for schools to use a Learning Management System, like Schoology, to help teachers organize and distribute resources to students. This study will help administrators understand if teachers have a stronger or weaker sense of efficacy through the use of traditional instruction or instruction with the use of Schoology. The study is important because administrators need …


The Effect Of Experiential Learning On The Mathematics Achievement And Mathematics Anxiety Of African-American Students, Andrew Hanson Wynn Dec 2018

The Effect Of Experiential Learning On The Mathematics Achievement And Mathematics Anxiety Of African-American Students, Andrew Hanson Wynn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined whether or not there were any significant differences between the anxiety and achievement levels of African-American students enrolled in College Algebra courses taught using traditional instruction methods and those taught using experiential learning, as used in The Algebra Project curriculum. The classes were taught for the same amount of time for one semester, using the two curricular methods, and student anxiety was measured prior to the course and immediately following the implementation of an experiential learning module. Additionally, student achievement on selected questions focusing on the functions unit from the midterm exam were collected and analyzed to …


The Relationship Between Test Of Essential Academic Skills And Nursing Final Course Grades For Sophomore Students In A Residential, Undergraduate, Pre-Licensure Bachelor Of Science Nursing Program, Tracey Milton Turner Oct 2018

The Relationship Between Test Of Essential Academic Skills And Nursing Final Course Grades For Sophomore Students In A Residential, Undergraduate, Pre-Licensure Bachelor Of Science Nursing Program, Tracey Milton Turner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In light of the national nursing shortage, there is a heightened need to admit students to schools of nursing who are likely to persist through graduation. The purpose of this quantitative predictive correlational study was to determine if Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) subscale testing scores could predict the final course grade in a fundamentals of nursing course for sophomore students in a residential, undergraduate, pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) program at a private university. Archival data consisting of information related to sophomore, residential, undergraduate, pre-licensure BSN students at a private university during the 2015-2016, 2016-2017, and …


¿Esto Funciona?: Studying The Influences Of Peer Tutoring On Student Performance In The Spanish Language-Learning Process, Alisha Castaneda Sep 2018

¿Esto Funciona?: Studying The Influences Of Peer Tutoring On Student Performance In The Spanish Language-Learning Process, Alisha Castaneda

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Foreign language pedagogy is currently pushing for a more communicative approach to teaching learners practical language skills (Jones, Squires, and Hicks, 2008). Students want to develop language skills they can use in their careers and everyday lives; consequently, professors are integrating learning methods that make the language classroom more practical and applicable to students’ needs. One potentially invaluable tool in the language-learning process is requiring students to complete a specific number of target-language peer tutoring hours. This study examines the correlations among three variables: the number of tutoring hours students complete, their numerical final course grades, and their scores on …


Experiences Of Special Education Teachers Performing Physical Restraints Involving Students With Disabilities: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Stephanie Laymon Sep 2018

Experiences Of Special Education Teachers Performing Physical Restraints Involving Students With Disabilities: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Stephanie Laymon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The performance of physical restraints on students with disabilities has become a significant interest to the legislative and disability communities in recent years. A report from the USDOE Department of Civil Rights (2018) indicated that while students with disabilities make up only 12% of the student population, these students account for 71% of the physical restraints in public schools. To date, little research has been identified involving physical restraints in public schools. This transcendental phenomenological study collected data from 10 special educators in a school district in Southeast Tennessee who were involved in the physical restraint of students with disabilities …


Community College Completion: The Predictive Relationship Between Placement Scores And Graduation, Lisa Martin Sep 2018

Community College Completion: The Predictive Relationship Between Placement Scores And Graduation, Lisa Martin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This predictive correlative study was designed to investigate the relationship between the entry placement-test scores of community college students as measured by the ACT® COMPASS® placement exams and the students’ successful completion of a degree or certificate program at a technical (community) college in South Carolina. The study was of importance, for it was designed to determine if ACT® COMPASS® placement test scores can predict graduation from a degree or certificate program in the subject college’s programs of study. The study will utilize archival data available in the college’s retention-management system. The selected college is a mid-sized institution that enrolls …


Utilizing Natural Settings To Reinforce Social Skills Instruction In Students With Disabilities, Torrey Pitchford Aug 2018

Utilizing Natural Settings To Reinforce Social Skills Instruction In Students With Disabilities, Torrey Pitchford

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A large proportion of students with disabilities (SWD) have social skills deficits that make it difficult for them to succeed in school, work, and life. This quantitative, quasi-experimental, non-equivalent, pretest-posttest, control group study was designed to explore whether SWD can better transfer their learned social skills to natural settings, improving their chances at independence and success, with the use of reinforcement in natural settings. The researcher included 86 students with disabilities from a school district in a predominantly white, middle class, rural Utah town. The researcher and teachers used Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS) in this study to provide instruction …


The Differences Between Principal And Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Learning Communities In California Schools, Michael Brown Aug 2018

The Differences Between Principal And Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Learning Communities In California Schools, Michael Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Effective Professional Learning Communities are one tool schools utilize to ensure that student achievement improvement is prioritized. Professional Learning Communities help educators increase their professional knowledge and minimize conflict amongst colleagues. Additionally, teachers who regularly participate in a Professional Learning Community have students who reach higher achievement benchmarks than the students of their non-participating peers. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a statistically significant difference existed between principal perceptions and teacher perceptions of Professional Learning Communities as measured by the Professional Learning Communities Assessment—Revised. A sample of 49 principals and 53 teachers from 49 schools in California …


The Effect Of Color Coding Exterior Letters Of Words On Reading Fluency And Decoding Ability In Intermediate Students Who Read Below Grade Level, Edward Kirby Aug 2018

The Effect Of Color Coding Exterior Letters Of Words On Reading Fluency And Decoding Ability In Intermediate Students Who Read Below Grade Level, Edward Kirby

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this true experimental, posttest-only control-group design was to determine if the color coding of exterior letters affects the fluency and decoding ability among fourth grade students who were below grade level in reading. If color coding exterior letters is an effective intervention, then struggling readers could utilize this intervention to improve their reading fluency and decoding abilities. Participants were selected from a random sample of 102 public school students who were below grade level in reading. The participants were from a district in the southeast United States. Each student was randomly assigned to either an experimental or …


Employing Text Messaging As An Instructional Tool: Effects On Academic Achievement And Sense Of Connectedness, Mary Sell Aug 2018

Employing Text Messaging As An Instructional Tool: Effects On Academic Achievement And Sense Of Connectedness, Mary Sell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quasi-experimental, non-equivalent groups study investigated the effects of instructional text messages on the academic achievement and sense of connectedness of high school students enrolled in economics classes in north Georgia. Previous research on text messaging has shown that it (a) is the preferred method used by adolescents for communication, (b) increases student motivation to learn, (c) allows for ubiquitous learning, and (d) was found to be useful and acceptable by students. The Test of Economic Literacy, Fourth Edition was used to measure academic achievement, and the Classroom Community Scale was used to measure sense of connectedness. Results of the …


The Predictive Relationship Between Student Engagement Scores And Pass/Fail Rates Of A Credit Recovery Course Among High School Students, Tara Douds Aug 2018

The Predictive Relationship Between Student Engagement Scores And Pass/Fail Rates Of A Credit Recovery Course Among High School Students, Tara Douds

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this predictive correlational study was to examine the relationship between Finn’s conceptual framework of student engagement as it relates to the pass/fail rate of an online credit recovery course. A logistic regression was utilized in this study. The predictor variable was student engagement of high school students. The criterion variable was the pass/fail rate of a credit recovery course. The participants included a nonrandom sample of 49 students from two public high schools. The students completed the Motivation and Engagement Scale – High School (MES-HS) survey comprised of 44 questions, which measured student motivation and engagement. The …


The Relationship Between Grade Point Average And Understanding Of Homework's Purpose And Management In Economically Disadvantaged High School Students, Diane Bush Aug 2018

The Relationship Between Grade Point Average And Understanding Of Homework's Purpose And Management In Economically Disadvantaged High School Students, Diane Bush

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a key measure of academic achievement, grade point average (GPA), could accurately be predicted from a linear combination of understanding homework’s purpose as measured by the Homework Purpose Scale (HPS) and by the student’s approach to homework management and homework behaviors as measured by the Homework Management Scale (HMS). This quantitative study is a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey design comprised of two previously established valid and reliable scales: the Homework Purpose Scale and the Homework Management Scale. The study’s design is correlational using a sample (N = 300) of pre-existing high school …


Digital Game-Based Learning And The Mathematics Achievement Of Gifted Students, Lynette Cooper Aug 2018

Digital Game-Based Learning And The Mathematics Achievement Of Gifted Students, Lynette Cooper

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group study was to determine the presence of a statistically significant difference in the mathematics achievement of gifted learners when utilizing digital game-based learning (DGBL) for supplemental mathematics instruction when compared to gifted learners not utilizing DGBL. This study compared the Student Growth Percentile (SGP) of 105 sixth-grade gifted participants from two public middle schools as measured by the Renaissance Learning STAR Math Test. The participants took a pretest, completed 540 minutes of supplemental mathematics instruction over a nine-week period, and took a posttest. Participants were randomly selected for the treatment group who …


The Relationship Between English Language Proficiency And Academic Achievement For English Language Learners, Laura Grisso Aug 2018

The Relationship Between English Language Proficiency And Academic Achievement For English Language Learners, Laura Grisso

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative correlational research study was to test the threshold hypothesis as it applied to the performance of English language learner students on the Oklahoma Core Curriculum Test (OCCT) in third grade reading and the Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State for English language learners assessment, also known as the ACCESS for ELLs. The OCCT assesses student performance on third grade reading content and the ACCESS for ELLs assesses the English language proficiency levels in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. This study specifically proposed to analyze the relationship between the ACCESS for ELLs reading …


Finding Their Place: An Ethnographic Study Of The Culture Of Students Attending A Rural, Self-Paced, Alternative Evening High School, Teena Atkins Aug 2018

Finding Their Place: An Ethnographic Study Of The Culture Of Students Attending A Rural, Self-Paced, Alternative Evening High School, Teena Atkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this ethnographic study was to provide a cultural portrait as well as identify methods of success of nontraditional students attending a self-paced, alternative evening high school in the southeast region of the United States in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. An ethnographic research design was utilized employing data triangulation through observations, interviews, focus group, and journals as methods of data collection. Participants included nontraditional students who were currently attending or recently graduated from an alternative evening high school in the southeast region of the United States. This study sought to better understand what factors contributed to …


A Case Study Of The Stakeholders' Perception Of The Effectiveness Of A South Carolina District Mentorship Program, Donna Floyd Aug 2018

A Case Study Of The Stakeholders' Perception Of The Effectiveness Of A South Carolina District Mentorship Program, Donna Floyd

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study is to understand the perceptions of participants in St. John’s County School District concerning the effectiveness of the mentorship program in the county. The Theory of Teacher Development (Fuller, 1969; Katz, 1972) guided the research. This theory states the induction programs should follow pre-service preparation, which will reduce the teacher attrition rate. A single case study was chosen so that the mentorship program could be studied using the perceptions of the participants in the program. The two research questions that guided the study is as follows: “What are the beginning teachers’ perceptions of the …


How The Leadership Of A Character Development Curriculum Effects The Standardized Test Scores Among 3rd Grade Students, Bonnie Sypolt Aug 2018

How The Leadership Of A Character Development Curriculum Effects The Standardized Test Scores Among 3rd Grade Students, Bonnie Sypolt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this non-experimental causal-comparative study sought to determine if character development curriculum directly impacted student success, specifically in the area of academics through standardized test scores. Many articles presented an explanation regarding the need for character development curriculum, but very little research has been done regarding the positive academic impact on standardized test scores. By utilizing a quantitative design, standardized test scores for 168 students in third grade were collected from one school district and analyzed to determine a difference between scores in Language Arts and Math through the statistical MANOVA test. The standardized test scores for the …


Effect Of Professional Development And Follow-Up Support Through Coaching Emails On Secondary English Teachers' Sense Of Efficacy In Implementing Mentor Text Instruction, Ann-Marie Morgan Aug 2018

Effect Of Professional Development And Follow-Up Support Through Coaching Emails On Secondary English Teachers' Sense Of Efficacy In Implementing Mentor Text Instruction, Ann-Marie Morgan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Beyond rigorous reading instruction in America’s high schools, writing instruction in the 21st century must be addressed if students will be equipped with the critical thinking skills they need to be successful. Teachers, however, need training in implementing innovative methods in writing instruction to effect change in student achievement. This quantitative, quasi-experimental study attempted to determine what effect professional development through in-person training and follow-up support through coaching emails have on teachers’ perceived self-efficacy in implementing mentor text instruction for writing. Data were collected from 9 teachers who attended a 2-hour professional development session on strategies for using mentor texts. …


A Multiple Case Study Examining Instructional Coaching And Reflective Practices Through Video-Based Feedback Systems, Dennis Dotterer Aug 2018

A Multiple Case Study Examining Instructional Coaching And Reflective Practices Through Video-Based Feedback Systems, Dennis Dotterer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to examine the use of video-based instructional feedback models for three primary participants in a rural southern district. This qualitative study built upon the constructivist foundations of Mezirow’s transformative learning theory and Kegan’s constructive developmental theory, specifically connections to “ways of knowing” as it explored how the use of technology in teacher observations enhance adult learning and practice through enhanced reflection. This qualitative multi-case study sought to explain educators use video-based feedback to enhance teacher efficacy within the processes of instructional supervision. The focal participant of this study was one content-based classroom …


An Examination Of The Impact Of Early Intervention On High School Dropout Rates, Kenton Johnson Aug 2018

An Examination Of The Impact Of Early Intervention On High School Dropout Rates, Kenton Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative, correlational study focuses on the examination of at-risk student indicators and the practice of early identification and intervention as it pertains to high school graduation. It utilized logistic regression to determine whether a set of predictor variables (Criterion Referenced Competency Test math, final math and English grades, and number of absences) can accurately predict the criterion variable of graduation from high school. The analysis also determined which variables best predict the criterion variable. The analysis utilized archived data on African American males who entered ninth grade in a large U.S. school district during the 2013-2014 school year. The …


The Relationship Between Teacher-Assigned Course Grades And The Ohio Air End Of Course 8th Grade Science Test, Mark Potts Aug 2018

The Relationship Between Teacher-Assigned Course Grades And The Ohio Air End Of Course 8th Grade Science Test, Mark Potts

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

For over a century, teacher-assigned grades have been criticized and maligned as a subjective hodgepodge of academic and non-academic factors that varied from teacher to teacher and generally failed to communicate student academic achievement. Standardized tests focused more objectively on student achievement rather than leveling the playing field by eliminating the subjectivity it seems to have tilted it in favor of white middle-class students. The purpose of this correlational study was to better understand the relationship between standardized tests and teacher assigned grades. This study examined the Ohio End-of-Course exams for 8th grade Science and the teacher assigned final grades …


The Effects Of An Online Math Intervention On The Math Anxiety Levels Of Community College Students, Rita Love Aug 2018

The Effects Of An Online Math Intervention On The Math Anxiety Levels Of Community College Students, Rita Love

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Finding an inexpensive, timely, and effective intervention to reduce math anxiety in community college students is a worthwhile endeavor. Math anxiety left unattended can lead to the conscious and deliberate avoidance of math-heavy educational programs and careers. Previous investigations in math anxiety interventions have overlooked the potential for mastery learning-based online modules to reduce math anxiety. The purpose of this two-factor quasi-experimental posttest-only control group study is to investigate whether participation in Let’s Go Racing, a mastery learning-inspired intervention designed to prepare students for gateway math courses, affects math anxiety levels and whether the potential effect differs for male and …


Teachers’ Perceptions Of Effective Student Support Systems By Availability Of Student Support Facilitators, Marsha Joyce-Tatum Aug 2018

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Effective Student Support Systems By Availability Of Student Support Facilitators, Marsha Joyce-Tatum

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Student support systems are designed to improve struggling students’ performance and should be used by general and special education teachers. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ perceptions of student support system frameworks in a rural school district in a Mid-Atlantic state with a full-time or part-time student support facilitator. This study will provide educational leaders with information on teachers’ perceptions concerning student support systems, in order to support creation of improved staff development efforts that will influence effective teacher use of student support systems. Teachers’ perceptions of their training, special education eligibility, and framework weaknesses in student …


The Effect Of Digital Tablets' Applications On Reading Achievement Of First Graders In Two Private Schools, Sean Corcoran Jul 2018

The Effect Of Digital Tablets' Applications On Reading Achievement Of First Graders In Two Private Schools, Sean Corcoran

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The focus of this research study was to determine the impact of integrating tablets into reading instruction in four first-grade classrooms in two private elementary schools in the southeastern United States. This is important because many schools are utilizing tablets in the instructional process and this seeks to determine if there is an academic value to their use in the classroom. The study was based on the cognitive theory of multimedia learning by Richard Mayer. The researcher sought to identify any possible differences in standardized test scores of students who used tablet applications during reading instruction versus students who did …


A Correlational Study Of 5th Students' Handwriting Legibility And Scores On Writing Samples In A Northwest Georgia School, Julia Houston Jul 2018

A Correlational Study Of 5th Students' Handwriting Legibility And Scores On Writing Samples In A Northwest Georgia School, Julia Houston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study explored the relationship between legibility in handwriting scores and compositional scores of students in grade five in one Northwest Georgia school. The ability to recall and write the letters automatically may impact the composing skills of students engaged in the writing process. Handwriting, often considered a motor skill in young children, may have a greater impact on literacy learning than is often considered. The strong connection to literacy learning along with the importance as a skill in communications both contribute to the importance of this study. Data was collected from one elementary school in Northwest Georgia. The school …


The Effects Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Intervention Supports On Students With Emotional Behavior Disorders In Elementary Schools, Marva Clarke Howard Jul 2018

The Effects Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Intervention Supports On Students With Emotional Behavior Disorders In Elementary Schools, Marva Clarke Howard

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of implementing School-Wide Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (SWPBIS) in elementary schools for students with Emotional Behavior Disorders (EBD) that engaged in poor adaptive behaviors. Therefore, the researcher seeked to determine if there existed a difference in the overall adaptive scores of elementary students with EBD who attended a SWPBIS school and a non-SWPBIS school. The purpose of this research study was to determine if the implementation of SWPBIS decreased the poor adaptive scores among students with EBD and if lower adaptive scores decreased the chance of disruptive and violent behaviors. …