Education Commons^™

Exploring Mid-Level Teacher Use Of Behavior-Specific Praise And General Praise, Catherine Anderson

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

Behavior-specific praise (BSP) is an evidence-based classroom management practice that can be used to increase desired behavior and decrease undesired behavior. Teachers use general praise (GP) more frequently even though it has proven to be less effective than BSP. This study extends previous research on frequency behavior-specific praise in mid-level classrooms. The expected outcome was that mid-level teacher rates of BSP would be much lower than GP. The proposed research questions include the following: What are middle school teacher’s rates of general praise vs. behavior-specific praise? Do teachers deliver behavior-specific praise more frequently to individual students or groups of students? …

Assessing Teachers’ Dispositions Towards Culturally Responsive Pedagogy In Northwest Arkansas High Schools, Rylie Ford

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

Culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) entails the use of cultural knowledge, prior experiences, and learning styles of ethnically and culturally diverse students to make instruction more relevant and effective for them. Furthermore, practices within this pedagogy are validating, inclusive, emancipatory, and ethical, and help diverse students succeed academically while maintaining their cultural identity. Numerous studies have indicated that using culturally responsive pedagogy increases student academic achievement, sense of self, and emotional well-being (Ladson, 1995; Gay, 2018). Considering the varying degrees of cultural and linguistic diversity in Northwest Arkansas (NWA) schools and the lack of reported professional development relating to CRP, this …

Identifying The Racial Implicit Biases Of Pre-Service Teachers And Analyzing Their Impact On Students, Lauren Lagan

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

Implicit biases reflect the unconscious beliefs and viewpoints held against populations of people that influence our interactions with others. The adverse impact of educators’ implicit biases on students influences disciplinary actions, setting expectations, and perpetuates the opportunity gap. Due to the implicitness of these biases, people are often unaware they exist, but the impact is apparent in disproportionate disciplinary and graduation rates of diverse populations of students. Pre-service teachers are entering the profession with limited understanding of how implicit biases form, how they are present in schools, and the negative effects of implicit biases on the lives of students. The …

Developing A Curriculum Model For Differentiating Instruction For All Learners, Emma Riemenschneider

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine what types of teaching strategies most engage gifted and talented (GT) students. This study poses the question, "How can classroom teachers engage gifted and talented students while not advancing past the abilities of non-gifted and talented students?" Two surveys were developed and administered to public school teachers and students. The teacher participants of this study were nine classroom teachers at a junior high school in the northwestern part of the state. The student participants of this study were 99 seventh and eighth graders at a junior high school in the northwest part …

A Sociocultural Analysis Of Book-Length Works Mentioned In The English Journal, 2010-2020, Elizabeth Price

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

Between 2010 and 2020, the book-length works mentioned in the English Journal were recorded in order to assess societal and professional trends reflected in the uptake of these books in pedagogical articles. The data shows a continued heavy presence of canonical literature, particularly Shakespearean plays, as well as an increase in diverse perspectives, a higher respect for new genres such as Young Adult Literature and the Graphic Novel in the classroom, and a pushback on two popular novels, To Kill a Mockingbird and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Effects Of Environmental Variables And Student Preference On Student Achievement, Elizabeth Francis

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

Data show Arkansas’s high school graduates underperform in several national standardized tests. Research shows that positive moods warrant better academic performances. A review of the literature proves that environmental stimuli such as lights, colors, music, etc. can significantly affect a person’s mental state. Research suggests that further research needs to be done. Suggestions for implementing mood-improving stimuli are provided for educators.

A Case Study Of Four Districts' Procedures For Identifying And Serving Culturally, Linguistically, And Economically Diverse Gifted And Talented Students In One State, Mackenzie Anderson

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

The underrepresentation of culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse students is a problem historically researched in gifted and talented programs. This problem largely comes from the way districts identify for giftedness as well as the programming for gifted students. Traditional methods of identification often largely exclude students due to racial or ethnic bias and harsh cut-off scores on tests. This study investigated the current identification procedures of four districts in one state. Additionally, the study addressed programming and how these districts specifically targeted underserved populations within their district. Data were collected through interviews with four District Coordinators from school districts with …

Students' Attitudes Towards Standardized Testing: A Literature Review, Kelly Gard

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

Standardized testing is a task that all students must undertake during their educational careers. Standardized tests are large determinants to course placements, exceptionality placements, grades, school sanctions or rewards, and education policy. It is imperative that all students have an equal opportunity to succeed on standardized tests. However, bias, stress, and anxiety in standardized testing often hinders the opportunity for many students to excel on the tests.

The purpose of this literature review is to discuss the research conducted on standardized testing bias which includes the prevalence of testing bias as well as the causes and types of testing bias. …

An Investigation Of Preservice Teachers’ Knowledge Of Diversity And Multicultural Literature At One University, Rebecca Yeager

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

The research study surveyed students classified as Juniors at the University of Arkansas currently enrolled in the Children’s Literature course, a required class for both Elementary Education and Childhood Education degree program students attending the University of Arkansas. The survey that was administered is the Cultural Diversity Awareness Inventory (CDAI). Additional data collected consisted of observations and interviews of students enrolled in the course. The research lasted one semester and consisted of multiple components. Through the study, the data suggests students grew in their knowledge of multicultural concepts and multicultural literature, but their growth was better measured through interviews, not …

The Effects Of A Literacy-Based Mentoring Program On Empowering Preadolescent Girls In Their Development Of Confidence, Self-Concept, And Leadership Skillset, Sophia Vincent

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study focuses on empowering preadolescent girls to develop confidence and move from a fixed to growth mindset, take responsibility for their actions, turn failures into learning opportunities, and cultivate a love for self. GIRLS: Leaders on the Rise is a literacy-based mentoring program for preadolescent girls designed to improve confidence, positive self-concept, and develop a leadership skillset through five targeted aspects of leadership: growth mindset, integrity, resilience, love and loyalty, and strengths. Adolescence is a time when students are discovering who they are and shaping their identities. Girls decline in their self-confidence during adolescence due to fear of failure, …

How Do Non-Traditional Students Avail Themselves Of The University Of Arkansas' Resources?, Mary Frances Sulzen

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

In America alone there are 46 million non-traditional students that have some college hours but that have not completed their degree. There are over 1,700 non-traditional students at the University of Arkansas. Colleges and universities provide resources to students to support their academic, social and other needs. Do non-traditional students avail themselves of the University of Arkansas’ resources? Does this impact their GPA? A quantitative and qualitative research study was conducted to explore the connectivity of non-traditional students with their college campus. A survey with a follow up email interview was gathered to examine and research non-traditional students’ interests, problems, …

Investigating Steam: Integrating Art And Stem To Spark Innovation, Sara L. Hayman

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of STEAM instruction in K-12 classrooms emphasizes the teaching of 21st century learning skills using innovative thinking to solve real-world problems and specifically combines the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (Claymier, 2014; Gjovik and Skophammer, 2013). This study investigated how teaching children to recognize connections among subject areas using STEAM promotes innovation in students by using art to teach flexibility and fluidity in thinking. The goal was to determine if integrating art into a STEM project influences the attitude students have towards themselves and their abilities, their attitudes towards how different skill sets work together, …

An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Hands On Cooking And Nutritional Education With Low Socioeconomic Children, Elizabeth G. Freeman

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study was conducted at The Yvonne Richardson Community Center in Northwest Arkansas to test the effectiveness of hands on cooking classes and nutritional education with children age’s nine to eleven coming from low socioeconomic backgrounds. This group was chosen because people included in low socioeconomic status are more likely to a high number of energy dense foods because of their long shelf life and high calorie count in replacement of fruits and vegetables (Proceedings of the Roundtable on Understanding the Paradox of Hunger and Obesity, 2004). Though this is true, not having a balanced diet and eating a majority …

An Investigation Of Creativity, Engagement, And Academic Success Using Student-Led Lesson Planning In One Third Grade Classroom, Ericka D. Brockunier

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate creativity, engagement, and student success using student-led lesson planning within a third-grade classroom. It was designed to see the impact of creativity on engagement and understanding through the use of daily student self-assessments and feedback, and daily input from students, concerning the upcoming lessons. The daily student self-assessments included three rating scales for engagement, creativity, and confidence in content. Each day, students were expected to rate themselves on a scale of one to five for each of the categories, regarding their views for that day’s lesson. This measured the effectiveness of each …

The Effects Of An Elementary After-School Enrichment Program On Gifted And Talented Students' Attitudes Toward School, Madison Nicole Cunningham

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

The study researches interest-based learning in a controlled setting in order to gain insight into student attitudes toward school, more specifically among identified gifted and talented students. This study poses the research question, “Does an after-school program designed to cater to student needs affect student attitudes toward school?” This was an action research study using pre and post assessments to determine elementary students’ attitudes toward school. The study was conducted at an after-school program, once a week for ten weeks total. There were ten students involved in the study, with three of them being formally identified through the school district …

Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of Teaching History, Kelsey Helyer

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

The study explored elementary teachers’ perceptions of how history is taught in today’s classrooms. To gather the data, the researcher created a survey that asked about the demographics of the schools, how the teachers teach history, and questions to explore teacher’s ideas about the role of history in education. The survey was shared on social media and through email to personal contacts asking contacts to share the link to complete the questionnaire. The participants consisted of fifty-one teachers most of whom are residents of Kansas, Arkansas, or Texas and teach kindergarten through sixth grade in general education classrooms. The participants’ …

An Investigation Of How Districts In One State Identify And Serve Gifted And Talented English Language Learners, Caitlin S. Allison

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

School administrators are constantly looking for ways to make learning accessible for all students, and gifted education is no different. The process of identifying a gifted student is a difficult one at best, only made more difficult with language barriers. However, inattention to gifted English Language Learners can have detrimental effects as feelings of culture shock and homesickness combine with feeling intellectually different than one’s peers. This study investigates the current procedures for identifying and providing for all gifted learners to determine if eligibility and participation is dependent on linguistic ability. The study consisted of interviewing three District Coordinators of …