Education Commons^™

Building An Effective Learning Environment For Chinese Language Learners, Wen-Yu Chang

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio is a compilation of papers that the author originally wrote during her study in the program of Master of Second Language Teaching at Utah State University. While pursuing the Master’s degree, the author also served as an instructor, teaching assistant, and research assistant in the Chinese program. Thus, this work is framed by the author's personal reflection accumulated from her day-to-day teaching experiences and class observations.

The portfolio consists of three major sections: (1) teaching perspectives, (2) research perspectives, and (3) an annotated bibliography. With the aim to identify the elements of an effective and communicative learning environment …

Transition Portfolio, Sarah Atkinson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Teaching self-determination skills has been shown to be successful among those who are from Anglo-Saxon decent. However, not much has been done to study the effects of teaching culturally responsive self-determination skills to those who are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The literature review in this transition portfolio addresses how teaching culturally and linguistically responsive self-determination skills can be useful to help individuals who receive special education services to more fully succeed in a post-high school setting.

To What Extent Do Young Adults With Disabilities Report Their High School Educational Experiences Prepared Them To Transition To Employment Or Post-Secondary Education, Marlee Jones

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This study examined the post school outcomes for young adults with disabilities having participated in special education programs while attending high school. An electronic survey was used to collect information from a population of previous special education students ages 18 to 19 years from a school district in the state of Utah. After sending the survey to approximately 275 former students, the researcher received responses from 4 individuals; a 1.45% response rate. The survey data were examined to identify overall satisfaction of participants’ high school education. Current participant employment rates, as well as post-secondary education enrollment was examined. No conclusions …

The Processes Of Collective Buy-In, Actuation, And Deep Social Learning In Seminary Classes, Donald B. Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This phenomenological study explored a common essence of collective class actuation (CCA) among six seminary teachers in a Western state. CCA is an optimal learning state of a class collective. Data were gathered through interviews, observations, and a focus group. Data analysis yielded themes, textural and structural descriptions, an overall essence, and a model explaining the processes of buy-in and actuation.

Findings indicate that seminary teachers seek to actuate their classes by leading them toward agentic, collective buy-in. This requires management of two social environments: the internal social environment (the heart) and the external social environment. The internal social environment …

The Role Of A Peer-Led Academic Intervention In College Students' Development Of Self-Regulated Learning: A Person-Centered Approach, Soojeong Jeong

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Due to its unsupervised nature, undergraduate education requires students to manage their own learning. They need to use self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies in order to achieve academic success. However, college students often have insufficient regulatory skills and strategies, suggesting the need for substantive and practical support. Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a well-recognized academic intervention that utilizes peer-led study groups for difficult college courses, through which students can develop their SRL abilities.

This study focuses on the role of the SI program in college students’ development of SRL from a person-centered perspective. First, this study examines the heterogeneous effects of the …

Measuring The Self-Efficacy Of Students Participating In Vex Robotics Competitions, Joseph S. Furse

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Robotic competitions have become an increasingly popular educational tool to increase students’ interest and achievement in STEM. The largest and fastest growing of these is VEX Robotics Competitions (VRCs). Although millions of dollars of funding are allocated, and countless hours of effort are expended annually to provide students with the opportunity to compete in VRCs, little research has been done to investigate the educational impacts of participation in these competitions. One promising research framework in this area is to investigate the self-efficacy of students who participate in VRCs. Self-efficacy, or the beliefs one holds about one’s own abilities in a …

Evaluating Relationships Of Knowledge, Attitudes, And Perception Between Ranchers And Bureau Of Land Management Professionals, Calee L. Garn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages approximately 245 million acres in the U.S., the majority of which are in the western half of the country. There have been several conflicts in Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Arizona, since 2010 that have resulted in a fatality, armed militias, several incarcerations, and lawsuits facing the federal government. Following a preliminary needs assessment conducted in Box Elder County, Utah, and a comprehensive review of the literature, further research was needed to understand BLM professional (BLM managers or BLM specialists) and rancher perceptions regarding BLM policies and procedures. The study specifically looked at attitudes, …

The Influence Of An English-As-A-Second-Language Professional Development Program On Perceptions Of Teacher Efficacy For Instructing English Language Learners, Dinah Scott

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

English language learners (ELLs) are the fastest growing student group in U.S. public schools. ELLs also consistently lag behind their native-English speaking peers in academic achievement. These facts set the stage for the study that evaluated one school district’s program to prepare their teachers to effectively educate ELLs. This program included a year-long series of six professional development courses that covered ELL-specific topics. The study’s evaluation tools included an online survey completed by teachers who took the courses, teachers’ feedback on course evaluation forms, interviews of district-level officials familiar with the program, and an examination of the homework assignments from …

An Evaluation Of An Interactive Computerized Training To Teach Instructors How To Respond During An Active Shooter Situation, Lorraine A. Becerra

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Active shooter events in the U.S. are occurring more often in commercial environment and schools. In these emergency situations educators must quickly decide to complete actions that will protect themselves and their students. Typically, during these situations, the educator should complete in a run, hide, or fight sequence of behaviors. The educator must also consider challenges for their student’s particular disabilities during these situations. Interactive computerized training (ICT) may be one easy method to teach educators these procedures. The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of interactive computerized training to help educators learn how to respond during …

Kindergarteners' Conceptions And Representations Of Temperature: An Exploratory Study On How Young Children Perceive Air Temperature, Ryan Francis Cain

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As states, districts, and teachers work to make science classes more about doing the work of science and less about remembering science facts, research is needed to show what doing science looks like. This is especially needed for the youngest students, since much of the current research studies examine the upper part of the K-12 grade range.

Having been an early elementary science teacher, my work in this dissertation and beyond is focused on making the doing of science accessible to young children. One way to do science is to collect and interpret data – to measure something and make …

Navigating Adulthood: Exploring The Impact Of A High School Life-Skills Course On Adulthood Transition Experiences, Lacee R. Boschetto

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted to explore the adulthood transition experiences of Utah high-school graduates, with heightened focus on the application value of educational content from the course, Adult Roles. The purpose of the study was identified through experiential interactions with high-school graduates, and was supported by research on 21st century adulthood transitions shown to divert away from traditional adulthood markers. The inconsistency between modern adulthood transition behaviors and traditionally held adulthood assumptions lead to negative perceptions about young adult’s capability to adapt to adulthood. The researcher was motivated to investigate opportunities that may provide increased preparation for the transition into …

The Relationship Between Small-Group Discourse And Student-Enacted Levels Of Cognitive Demand When Engaging With Mathematics Tasks At Different Depth Of Knowledge Levels, Kristy Litster

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

High cognitive demand (HCD) tasks can help students develop a deeper understanding of mathematics. Teachers need interventions that encourage students to engage in HCD activities. Small-group discourse provides HCD opportunities for students while solving mathematics problems. Discourse can take place after students solve problems individually (reflective) or in groups as students solve problems (exploratory). This study looks at the relationship between these two types of small-group discourse and student-enacted cognitive demand.

This study looks at how students engage with tasks that were designed at four different cognitive demand levels using Webb’s depth of knowledge (DOK) framework. Ninety-seven grade 5 students …

A Survey Of College Students With Learning Disabilities And Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder To Identify Their Relationship And Use Of College Disability Resource Centers, Telia M. West

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

College students with learning disabilities (LD) and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) complete college at lower rates than their non-disabled peers (Newman & Madaus, 2015). Colleges receiving federal funding are required to have a disability resource center (DRC) that provides and coordinates accommodations for students with disabilities. This project examined the factors that led students with LD and/or ADHD to initially contact their college DRC. This project examined data from 61 college students pursuing an undergraduate degree with LD and/or ADHD who had already contacted their DRC. A survey was sent to those students asking about circumstances surrounding their …

Professional Portfolio, Sonja Hammond

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Improving outcomes for students with disabilities has been a passion of mine for most of my life. I received a bachelor’s degree in special education from Utah State University in 1997 and began my professional career as a special education teacher at Layton High School in Layton, Utah. I believed I was implementing best practices for students with disabilities. My students took part in vocational training on community job sites, public transportation training and community access at businesses in the community. I partnered with counselors from Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and developed an appreciation for the complexities of interagency collaboration. I …

A Focus Group Analysis Of Interdisciplinary Knowledge Held By Special Education Teachers And Community Rehabilitation Service Providers, Tabitha Pacheco

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This research study describes the current understanding of high school special education teachers and community rehabilitation providers (CRP) staff regarding the direct transition services available through each party, the challenges and barriers encountered by each party, and recommendations for improving collaboration between special education teachers and CRP staff to improve student outcomes. Current research emphasizes the importance of interagency collaboration and that collaboration can improve student post-secondary outcomes. The method included three focus groups. Thematic analysis revealed key themes in the areas of experiences, questions, barriers, collaboration, and recommendations. The results and recommendations from this study may provide guidance for …

Racial Conflict In Early Utah: Mormon, Native American And Federal Relations, Raelyn M. Embleton

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This website is for teachers to gain information and sources about Utah history during the early territorial period, specifically relating to conflicts between Mormon settlers, Native Americans, and federal officials. The content and site were designed with the C3 curriculum in mind, as such, at the bottom of this page you can find a downloadable Inquiry Design Model Blueprint. As you teach students this information, the compelling question to have students focus on is: “Does culture and the interaction of cultures shape the development of place?” Each event highlighted on this website is related to the other and demonstrates how …

Guiding Language Students To Self-Sustained Learning, Hyrum Boone Checketts

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio is a compilation of written pieces which express the author’s beliefs about excellence in second language teaching. The views expressed here have been shaped by the author’s personal experience and by his time in the Master of Second Language Teaching (MSLT) program and are supported by relevant research throughout.

This portfolio contains three sections: (1) teaching perspectives, (2) research perspectives, and (3) annotated bibliographies. The teaching perspective section is centered on the author’s teaching philosophy, which emphasizes communication in the target language, classroom community, and student motivation. The second section consists of three research papers written over the …

An Examination Of Co-Teacher's Instructional Practices And Social Validity Following Participation In Professional Development, Jessica Sitton

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Because co-teaching teams often lack the support to continue to implement the evidence-based strategy of co-teaching beyond initial training and coaching sessions, this project studies the affect of training and coaching on teacher implementation and social validity following participation in co-teaching professional development. The Utah State Board of Education – Special Education (USBE-SES), from years 2012-2019, along with the Utah Professional Development Network (UPDN), from years 2014-2019 provided training, support and coaching to secondary co-teaching teams tied to the content areas of secondary mathematics and secondary English language arts (ELA). This project studied the continued use of instructional components specific …

Professional Transition Porfolio, Ali Gunn

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

During my career in junior high, I have been able to provide many transition assessments. This is the first introduction to transition planning for my students and their families, and I enjoy being able to discuss with them their hopes and dreams for the future, and help parents realize the strengths and skills their child has, based on these assessments, which will benefit them in their future goals. I have been able to use transition assessments not only to make appropriate transition plans, but also to set up work experiences that meet my students’ strengths and preferences.

I have provided …

The Effects Of Behavior Skills Training And Self-Monitoring On Paraprofessionals’ Use Of Incidental Teaching Procedures In A Preschool Classroom, Bayley Thompson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This project investigated effects of behavior skills training (BST) and self-monitoring on paraprofessionals’ use of incidental teaching procedures in a preschool classroom. Target behaviors involved correctly implementing two incidental teaching procedures: inadequate portions and sabotage. During baseline the paraprofessional displayed low levels of correct implementation of incidental teaching procedures. The participant then completed a training which included BST and self-monitoring. In addition to treatment data collection, the paraprofessional completed an incidental teaching questionnaire and a social validity survey as secondary measures. Results showed that the BST and self-monitoring package improved the participants’ implementation of correct incidental teaching procedures.

Professional Portfolio, Matthew Van Orden

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

My transition portfolio contains a compilation of the highlights of my experiences in the transition specialty masters degree program. It includes a literature review, transition assessment report, personnel preparation report, and a collaboration report. I performed a review of the academic literature in the area of transition assessments for people that are non-verbal and that have significant cognitive disabilities. My transition assessment report reviews how I performed a transition assessment for one of my students. This assessment helped me drive my instruction that eventually led to a job in an area of his interest. The personnel preparation report contains a …

Questioning Questions: A Grounded Theory Investigation Of Teacher Questioning In Seminary For The Church Of Jesus Christ, Zachary R. Horton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated teacher questioning practices and rationales in released-time seminary classes for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Church of Jesus Christ or the Church). Seminary teachers focus their questions on helping students learn course principles, value those principles, and apply them to their lives by discussing potential actions that can be taken by students outside of class. The purpose of this study was to observe and interview teachers relative to their questions and questioning practices in class and the reasoning and rational they explain underlying those practices. The resultant findings indicate the specific questioning principles …

Teachers' Conceptions Of Mathematics And Intelligent Tutoring System Use, Andrew R. Glaze

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to investigate the relationship between teachers’ conceptions of mathematics and their use of intelligent tutoring systems for mathematics instruction. Intelligent tutoring systems are adaptive computer programs which administer mathematics instruction to students based on their cognitive state. A conception is a mixture of beliefs and knowledge. The participants in this study were 93 junior high school mathematics teachers from three school districts in the Midwest. Data were gathered using a two-part online survey. The first part of the survey contained questions about their use of intelligent tutoring systems, graphing calculators, Desmos and dynamic …

Examining The Effects Of Discussion Strategies And Learner Interactions On Performance In Online Introductory Mathematics Courses: An Application Of Learning Analytics, Ji Eun Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation study explored: 1) instructors’ use of discussion strategies that enhance meaningful learner interactions in online discussions and student performance, and 2) learners’ interaction patterns in online discussions that lead to better student performance in online introductory mathematics courses. In particular, the study applied a set of data mining techniques to a large-scale dataset automatically collected by the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) for five consecutive years at a public university in the U.S., which included 2,869 students enrolled in 72 courses.

First, the study found that the courses that posted more open-ended prompts, evaluated students’ discussion messages posted …

Secondary Mathematics Teachers’ Responses To Pivotal Teaching Moments, Kami M. Dupree

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study used a multiple case study design to explore the occurrence of pivotal teaching moments, teachers’ responses to these moments, and teachers’ own perceptions of the impact of these moments on their own knowledge development. The participants were six practicing secondary mathematics teachers. The researcher collected data from teacher created lesson plan outlines, observations of the same lesson delivered to two different classes, participant interviews, and teacher reflection journals. The researcher reviewed the lesson plan outlines prior to observations to understand teachers’ anticipations. During observations, the researcher recorded observed pivotal teaching moments, corresponding teacher responses to these moments, and …

The Effect Of Joint Training On Knowledge And Attitudes Of Career And Technical Education And Special Education Professionals, Crystal Emery

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Career and technical education (CTE) is a set of career-focused courses and pathways that provide students with technical skills and knowledge which can lead to future employment and postsecondary education. Concentration in a career and technical education pathway while still in high school supports job exploration for school-age youth and is correlated with higher levels of full-time employment after high school. This is especially true for students with disabilities. Special Education (SPED) is the educational support system for students with disabilities. CTE and SPED professionals have struggled to effectively collaborate to serve students with disabilities. Infrequent and inconsistent communication between …

A Narrative Approach To Educational Video Training, Matthew S. Havertz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Teachers often use videos to teach their students, but stories are not used as often in educational videos as they could be. Experts tell us that stories are an important part of teaching and learning. Unfortunately, there is only a small amount of research and no definitive expert agreement about stories used in educational videos. This is especially true for videos used with technical education students, like mechanic students or dental assisting students. In this study, dental assisting students learned how to assist a dentist with a standard cavity procedure after watching a video with or without a story. The …

Development And Validation Of An Agricultural Literacy Instrument Using The National Agricultural Literacy Outcomes, M. Rose Judd-Murray

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted to develop a standardized agricultural literacy assessment using the National Agricultural Literacy Outcomes (NALOs) as benchmarks. The need for such an assessment was born out of previous research, which found that despite numerous programs dedicated to improving agricultural literacy, many students and adults remain at low or very low levels of literacy. Low literacy levels lead to negative associations with the production and processing of food, clothing, and shelter, as well as misinformed public perceptions and policies. Agricultural literacy researchers recognized that the development of a standardized assessment for post-12^th grade, or equivalent, could unify …

An Assessment Of Self-Determination Skills In Transition-Age Students With Disabilities Following Instruction Using The My Transition Portfolio Program, Eliza Jex

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The successful transition for students with disabilities into adult roles and activities post high-school, including employment, participation in postsecondary educational opportunities, and inclusion in social activities, continues to be a challenge for these individuals. Research has established that the development of certain skills earlier on can support students with disabilities in making a successful transition into these adult roles. The development of self-determination skills is one such practice. There is a need in the field of education to further research in programs that are available for teachers in providing instruction in self-determination skills. This study sought to establish research on …

“Get Tough!”: A Case Study On The Development Of The Sport Ethic In Youth Lacrosse, Ross Budziszewski

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

While participation in youth sport is often linked with positive psychosocial and physical outcomes (Holt et al., 2017), this context can also cultivate ideals that lead to the development of unethical beliefs as well as unsafe sport practices (Al-Yaarbi & Kavussanu, 2017). The sport ethic is described as the deviant overconformity by an athlete to fit societal expectations of a sport’s high-performance culture (Hughes & Coakley, 1991). Strong beliefs in the sport ethic can lead to moral disengagement, antisocial behavior, and viewing sport like warfare (Shields, Funk, & Bredemeier, 2015). Although the sport ethic has been examined in competitive adult …