Education Commons^™

Variations In State Higher Education Grant Programs: Potential Reforms From A Case Study, Rachael Johnson

Honors Program Theses

As higher education costs continue to rise across the nation, students are increasingly needing financial assistance. State grant aid programs play a vital role for millions of students across the nation when paying for their postsecondary education. This case study looks specifically at Iowa’s, Nebraska’s, and Wisconsin’s state funded grant aid models to understand how Iowa could restructure their current grant aid program to better serve both the students and taxpayers of the state. Specifically, for Iowa’s grant aid programs, four changes are recommended.

1. All higher education sectors should be eligible for the state’s primary grant aid program.
2. At minimum, …

Shrink And Squeeze: Today's Teaching Pressures And Its Effect On Teaching Social Studies, Alyssa Diane Mckeone

Honors Program Theses

Social studies education is one of the four core subjects taught to students in elementary schools. Teaching social studies provides students with the content knowledge and ways of thinking to allow them to be participating members in their communities. Although there are many skills students learn from social studies, due to federal legislation starting with No Child Left Behind, social studies has been put on the back burner while math and reading take the forefront. The goal of this study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of teachers regarding their social studies teaching. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with veteran …

Using The Growth Mindset To Improve Opportunities For Negotiation In Argument-Based Inquiry Elementary Classrooms, Bridget Tharp

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this study is to evaluate if teaching students about the growth mindset improves achievement on standardized science assessment in a classroom that uses argument-based inquiry (ABI) instruction. A critical part of ABI is also referred to as negotiation and is considered cognitively demanding for students. The demands of argumentation often make its implementation extremely challenging for teachers because students often do not have strategies to overcome the failure they will encounter during the process. ABI is a research-based instructional practice that has been shown to improve student learning in science. This study will look at specific aspects …

Education Inequity: A Comparative Analysis Of Johannesburg And Chicago City Schools, Melissa Marie Johnson

Honors Program Theses

Variances in the quality of education between schools in the same metropolitan areas have been noted around the world, and researchers have speculated on several causes. In order to study the specific impacts of funding gaps, lower numbers and qualifications of teachers, and lack of resources for students learning English, the cities of Johannesburg and Chicago were compared and contrasted. Both cities contained areas with very high quality schools and isolated neighborhoods where schools generally had fewer resources and lower test scores. This research shows that the problems in both cities mirror one another to an extent. Schools systems in …

Secondary Mathematics Educators And Coaches' Role In Providing Motivation, Reggie Schulte

Honors Program Theses

The compatibility between learning goals for students and mastery-oriented athletes makes sense based on my experience in both fields. I have often heard from coaches that it is important to “embrace the process” or “trust the process.” This same idea can be applied to a mathematics secondary classroom by praising effort and embracing the struggle that comes along with having a conceptual understanding of mathematics. As a future educator and coach, it is exciting, and to be honest somewhat scary, to know that I can a great effect on what my students believe they are able to achieve. After conducting …

Effects Of Role-Goal Methods On Student Engagement: A Case Study, Zachariah John Lillquist

Honors Program Theses

As a pre-service teacher, areas of focus that I have found to be incredibly intriguing are student motivation and student engagement. How educators motivate their students in their respective classrooms is something that has always been of interest to me. Many topics, including science – my field of teaching – are often remembered by students as the class they disliked the most or the one with the poor teacher. This could be due to a number of factors; it may be the style of teaching, the methodology of teaching, the age of the teacher, the curriculum itself, etc. The list …

Connections Between Science Teachers' Professional Development Preferences And Their Teaching Practices And Beliefs, Jessica Marie Wayson

Honors Program Theses

The effect of professional development preference, in relation to its effect on teacher practices and beliefs, has not been well studied. In order to better understand this dynamic, a nationwide online survey was developed and sent to secondary science teachers. The findings of this survey indicate a relationship does exist, but only within specific practices. During analysis, teachers were grouped by preference of professional development type including collaboration, reflection, conducting research, and professional development (such as conferences and workshops). Significant differences emerged from each group and implications for effective professional development practices will be addressed.

Comparing First-Generation And Continuing-Generation College Students' Self-Efficacy, Campus Involvement, And Academic Performance, Kaylin Nichole Upah

Honors Program Theses

In order to highlight potential differences between first-generation college students (FGS), defined as neither parent having completed a Bachelor’s degree, and continuing-generation students (CGS), this study compares FGS and CGS in terms of self-efficacy, campus involvement, and academic performance measured by grade point average (GPA) during their first year at a university. In order to investigate these relationships, this study utilizes University of Northern Iowa (UNI)’s 2015-2016 Mapworks data. Mapworks is a voluntary survey that first-year students, including freshmen and transfer students, complete during the fall and spring semesters. A total of 1549 first-year students participated in the 2015-16 survey, …

Student Perceptions On The Innovative Use Of Technology In Iowa Classrooms, Preston Vorthmann

Honors Program Theses

According to information from AEA 267 and the Annual Report on the Condition of Education 2016 by Iowa’s Department of Education (IDOE), 198 school districts out of 336 in Iowa (about 58%) have implemented a form of 1:1 programs, giving their students access to a tablet or laptop computer. This trend in education falls in line with the increased technology expenditures observed by the state in the past 10 years (Figure 1). These expenditures also relate to increased spending per pupil, which further supports that this increase is due primarily to the adoption of 1:1 and not, for example, a …

Investigating The Role Of The Written Curriculum On Lesson Planning For First-Year Elementary Mathematics Teachers, Anna Kron

Honors Program Theses

While studies have previously explored aspects of lesson planning from the perspective of experienced teachers, there is a lack of research investigating how this process is different for brand new educators. The researcher, a preservice elementary teacher studying at the University of Northern Iowa, wanted to learn more about the available resources and how she would utilize them when planning for mathematics instruction in her first elementary classroom. At the completion of this project, the researcher hoped to have a better understanding of the process first-year elementary teachers experience when transforming written textbook materials into a mathematics lesson plan. The …

"A Special Program For Highly Gifted Students:" The Evolution And Growth Of Uni's Honors Program, 1959-2009, Matthew Christian Miller

Honors Program Theses

In 1959, the faculty of the Iowa State Teachers College (ISTC), what is now known as the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), approved the creation of an honors program for gifted students, those who performed “above the norm for their age.”¹ Over the next 50 years, this program’s structure evolved and expanded to meet the changing needs of both the university and students from various backgrounds. The UNI Honors Program’s creation and evolution were not isolated events; rather, they reflected various local and national trends in education. UNI’s first honors program began as a reflection of ideas promoted by …

"Slavery Wasn't That Bad": An Examination Of The Effects Of Reduced Social Studies Class Time And Student Misconceptions, Matthew Karl Mengler

Honors Program Theses

There are four core subjects taught in American public schools today: math, English language arts, science, and social studies. For years, the social studies have been receiving less instructional time when compared to “more important” subjects such as reading, language arts, and math. This has especially been the case since the legislation of No Child Left Behind which placed English language arts and math as the two main pillars of a child’s education. The goal of this study was to figure out how teachers are adapting to this lack of social studies instruction time and to see if there have …

Frequently-Used Discipline And Management Techniques In The Cedar Valley, Gabriel Gedlinske

Honors Program Theses

The primary goal of this research is to observe frequently-used classroom management techniques in the Cedar Falls Community School District. The observed techniques and the philosophies behind them will then be compared to the methods and philosophies of educational researchers and theorists. Classroom management is an area that is often underrepresented in the plethora of courses required of college undergraduates, as can be observed at the University of Northern Iowa. Of the 120 total credit hours required of an undergraduate student for graduation, exactly three are devoted to classroom management. Furthermore, those three credit hours, or one class, may not …

Mindfulness In The Classroom: Cultivating Peace From Within, Maya Vandriel

Honors Program Theses

Teachers are placed with the difficult task of transferring knowledge to the next generation of leaders. This knowledge transfer can be measured in various ways. What cannot be easily quantified is the impact of the life skills taught to accomplish this handoff of reading, writing and math skills. Often times, teachers are the role model of how a student can cope with life inside and outside of the classroom. Teaching mindfulness in the classroom is a powerful method that shows students how to self-regulate emotions in order to cope with whatever life brings them. These life skills are essential for …

The Impact Of Teacher Prompting And Questioning On Third Grade Students' Comprehension, Jenna Francois

Honors Program Theses

This qualitative research study explores how teacher prompting and questioning impacts students’ comprehension of texts. The researcher observed a third grade teacher, Mrs. G., at a local elementary school in order to discern patterns in how this teacher used verbal prompts and questions to assist her students in understanding what they read. An initial interview was conducted with Mrs. G. to determine how she typically teaches and assesses reading comprehension, as well as the types of verbal prompts and questions she utilizes to assist students in comprehension. The researcher observed two literacy lessons in which Mrs. G. instructed the whole …

Motion Virtual Manipulatives In The Elementary Math Classroom, Cole Boudreau

Honors Program Theses

An application was developed to aid in teaching core mathematical concepts to kindergarten through third grade students. This software would be available at minimal cost when compared to current alternatives, and was designed specifically with effectiveness in mind. A framework called motion virtual manipulatives was developed, allowing to the creation of a touch-based application on any flat wall or surface. The application developed implemented multiple forms of manipulatives, each designed to allow for ease-of-use. The application is planned to be tested in classrooms with the aid of a secondary application developed to analyze the use of this project’s application.

Keywords: …

Proportional Reasoning In Middle Level Mathematics Textbooks, Rebecca Holzrichter

Honors Program Theses

Since textbooks are common tools used by teachers to organize what they teach, including proportional reasoning, it would be beneficial to teachers if these materials could provide a useful framework to help students meet the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (National Governor’s Association, 2010). Therefore the purpose of my research is to critically analyze middle school textbooks. To be able to accomplish that task I will first identify critical components of proportional reasoning. Identifying the critical components will provide a framework in which to assess the tasks in the middle level mathematics textbooks. I will then evaluate the tasks …

A Benefit To The Profession: Teacher Retention In The Middle Years, Claire Vander Wiel

Honors Program Theses

Teacher retention refers to a current national issue of teachers leaving the profession in large numbers after teaching for few years. This topic is in the public eye at the moment; many people have seen news articles about how many teachers leave the profession and varying opinions about what needs to be done about it. There have been countless research studies done on this topic, the vast majority of which focus on government and public policies that lead to a harsh environment for teachers. These policies include low teacher pay and benefits, low support from parents and administrators, and a …

Observations Of Music And Literacy In Early Childhood Education, Ann Strom

Honors Program Theses

Students spend as many as nineteen years in a classroom by the time they are twenty-two. They have countless teachers who all teach in a different style and say that it is the best way for their students to learn. Students have experienced classrooms where they are given a lecture for an hour and then expected to know and understand the content when the test comes. They have also experienced classrooms where they are up and moving, creating models, doing research, or conducting experiments, throughout the class to come to an understanding to share with their peers on the topic …

Equitable Discourse In Middle School Mathematics Classrooms: With Emphasis On Girls And The Mathematically Gifted, Merci F. Day

Honors Program Theses

Discourse is a tool used by mathematics teachers to help deepen mathematical understanding and build students’ mathematical identities. Teachers face the challenge of establishing and maintaining classroom norms that help discussions deepen mathematical understanding as well as meet the needs of all of their students. The researcher focused on what girls and the mathematically gifted need from discourse and how to create an equitable environment for all students. Girls need to be given equitable opportunities to voice their thoughts, and mathematically gifted students need to be adequately challenged, not just given more work. The researcher interviewed three teachers who employ …

A Book Club For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Elizabeth Ann Kosmicki

Honors Program Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties with social communication and interaction, as well as repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities. Individuals with ASD are also known to struggle with reading comprehension. Difficulties in social communication and interaction may lead to depression, while poor literacy skills may result in unemployment and poverty. Because book clubs target social communication and interaction, as well as reading comprehension, they may be beneficial for individuals with ASD. Indeed, some evidence already exists to support this belief. Through literature review of book clubs in general, currently existing book clubs and information on …

The Effects Of Argumentation On Student Motivation In Mathematics, Julie Kirkpatrick

Honors Program Theses

As a future educator, I am going to need to motivate my students to learn mathematics and be engaged deeply with the material. Because mathematics is a required subject for students, mathematics teachers must employ various strategies to motivate their students. Something that has motivated me in past mathematics courses has been the chance to form arguments and defend them in class. Argumentation in mathematics classrooms has been included in the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice as Practice Standard 3: “Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others” (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of …

Dropping In On Dropouts: An Analysis Of Withdrawals From The University Of Northern Iowa, Lindsey Marie Pedersen

Honors Program Theses

A university needs to maintain enrollment to keep its budget relatively constant each year. Universities can maintain enrollment by either recruiting new students or retaining current students. Retaining current students requires fewer resources, making retention the more cost effective strategy. To increase retention a university must know the factors that lead to withdrawal. However, current withdrawal studies focus on aggregate enrollment. At the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), students who have decided to withdraw from classes during the semester complete a form that asks for their reason of withdrawal. The Enrollment Management Department at UNI could use the student responses …

Inclusion: Learning Without Barriers, Amy Lois Bucciferro

Honors Program Theses

This study analyzes the literature that has been written about inclusive education and the effect on students in the classroom and compares the information in the literature to three interviews with mothers who have had experiences with inclusive classrooms. Inclusive education is defined as the concept that students with disabilities, regardless of the nature and extent of their disability, should be educated with age-appropriate peers in regular classrooms (with needed supplementary aids and services) in the neighborhood school (Gartner, 2002). The main focus in this study is to examine how the parents view the learning of their child and how …

The Impact And Evaluation Of Forgiveness Education With Early Adolescents, Hillary Karyn Elda Hilbert

Honors Program Theses

Research has shown that forgiveness is a complex process and is vital to one’s well-being (Coyle & Enright, 1997; Enright, 1991; Freedman, 2007). There have been several research studies conducted with various populations (Freedman & Enright, 1996; Coyle & Enright, 1997; Gambaro, Enright, Baskin, & Klatt, 2008; Waltman et al., 2009) who have experienced deep, personal, and unfair hurts. Forgiveness has been found to be healing and beneficial to one’s overall psychological well-being in these studies. It is often assumed that forgiveness is a natural process, but this is not necessarily true. Forgiveness is something that can be taught (Freedman, …

Higher Education Expenditures And Revenues : A Case Study On The University Of Northern Iowa, Thomas Keld Madsen

Honors Program Theses

Higher education costs have skyrocketed in recent years, leaving millions of students in copious amounts of debt. Facing problems with decreased support from state legislators, universities have increased tuition and fees to compensate. At the same time, university spending, especially in non-academic programs and services, has continued to rise. A fight as emerged between states and the schools residing in them for who is to blame for the increasing cost of higher education, and in the middle of the debate are schools such as the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). A medium-sized school, UNI faces decreasing financial support from the …

Investigating The Linguistic Identity Development Of Dual Language Learners, Elizabeth Silbernagel

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this research study was to analyze ways in which dual language learners were impacted by their environment (school, home, and community) and explore how these environments impacted their cultural and linguistic identity. Specifically, the goal was to find ways in which educators could better support these students in the classroom to help them achieve academic success, as well as make students feel that their culture is acknowledged and appreciated in the classroom environment. Both of these goals point toward the need to consider the “role identity plays in children’s demonstration and construction of knowledge” (Owocki & Goodman, …

The Pura Belpré Award And The Portrayal Of Disability, Zoe Houser

Honors Program Theses

The Pura Belpré Award is one of the lesser known literary awards. Because other literary awards have been around longer and received a large amount of attention, there has been much research done over the other literary awards, including how the award books portray disabled characters within their pages. However, there is a lack of research about the portrayal of disability in books that have been awarded or honored by the Pura Belpré Award.

This paper will address the question of how many Pura Belpré Award winning books include prominent characters with disabilities and if they are portrayed positively or …

How Inclusion Is Defined And Implemented In Elementary Classrooms, Bailey Jo Wright

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the various interpretations of inclusion and how we can implement it to a greater and more successful degree in elementary schools. Individuals with disabilities are discriminated against in many education systems, where additionally the law is not being upheld. This thesis provides an accessible, coherent framework for practicing teachers and future educators to gain a better understanding of the definitions of inclusion, the barriers they may encounter, and the best practices to guide them towards inclusive success.

Asset-Based Community Development Practices In International Service-Learning: A Content Analysis Of Short-Term Programs In Nicaragua, Kara Christine Poppe

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of the study is to explore how students on short-term international service-learning programs in Nicaragua interact with local communities by analyzing the structure of the programs as evidenced by course syllabi and website content. After extensive online research of international service-learning programs offered in Nicaragua, seven programs became the focus of the study. The four research questions included: 1) In what ways do the international service-learning programs support key components of service-learning, such as academic connections and reflection? 2) In what ways do the international service-learning program structure the time in the host country for service and tourism? …